The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney TD, has today announced the Government’s decision to seek leave to intervene as a third party in proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights (‘‘the Court’’) entitled Ukraine v Russian Federation (X).
If the Court grants leave, this will mark the first occasion that Ireland has intervened as a third party in an inter-state case in Strasbourg, a step consistent with the Government’s wider efforts to pursue accountability for Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine.
Welcoming the decision, Minister Coveney said:
“Since 24 February 2022, Ireland has been to the forefront of international efforts to support Ukraine and to ensure Russia is held accountable for its actions.
“In New York, as an elected member of the UN Security Council, we have consistently condemned the invasion as illegal, unjustified, and unprovoked. In Geneva, we pressed the Human Rights Council to appoint an independent international commission of inquiry into violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. On 2 March 2022, we joined 38 other States in referring the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, enabling Prosecutor Khan to advance his critical investigations.
“As Presidency of the Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg, I have been determined to reinforce our solidarity with Ukraine at the Council of Europe.
“The Government’s decision to seek leave from the European Court of Human Rights to intervene as a third party in this important case is a tangible demonstration of that.
“The Court is regarded, rightly, as ‘‘the conscience of Europe’’. Seldom has Europe needed its conscience more.”