Indian Judge Votes Against Russia For Invading Ukraine At ICJ

New Delhi: At the International Court Of Justice, India’s Judge Justice Dalveer Bhandari has voted against Russia, for invading Ukraine. The UN’s top court on Wednesday ordered Russia to suspend its invasion of Ukraine, and said that it was “profoundly concerned” by Moscow’s use of force.

“The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend military operations that it commenced on February 24 on the territory of Ukraine,” pending the final decision in the case, presiding judge Joan Donoghue told the International Court of Justice.

In a hearing in The Hague, Justice Donoghue said, “The court is profoundly concerned about the use of force by the Russian Federation which raises very serious issues in international law.”

For attacking Ukraine, Kyiv dragged Moscow to the court.

Justice Bhandari’s vote against Russia, was an independent move based on his interpretation on the Russian Invasion. His call is different from what India’s official position has been in different international fora.

In the UN India has abstained from voting on the Ukraine-Russia issue, and has asked both sides to focus on negotiations and end hostilities.

“Russia must be stopped, and the court has a role to play in stopping that,” Ukraine’s representative Anton Korynevych told the ICJ last week.

The hearing on Wednesday comes after the number of refugees fleeing Ukraine topped three million and the forces are shelling on the residential areas.

At the same time, Kyiv said it wanted its security to be guaranteed by international forces, as it rejected proposals pushed by Russia for it to adopt a neutral status comparable to Austria or Sweden.

Russia snubbed hearings on March 7 and 8, arguing in a written filing that the ICJ “did not have jurisdiction” because Kyiv’s request fell outside of the scope of the 1948 Genocide Convention on which it based its case.

Moscow also justified its use of force in Ukraine, saying “it was acting in self-defence.”