DISINFO: The European Court of Human Rights is biased and engaged
SUMMARY
The ECHR due to its bias is unlikely to become a place where Russia's claim will be considered objectively.
Western-controlled international structures consider Crimea and Donbas to be the territory of Ukraine, and Russia's actions - "occupation and annexation". The ECHR will in every possible way avoid any decisions unfavourable for Ukraine.
But in the course of the trial, it is possible to register in court a number of crimes of the Ukrainian authorities, massive facts of human rights violations and assess the very quality of European justice.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative denigrating the European Court of Human Rights.
This disinformation message appeared in connection with an interstate lawsuit, which Russia brought to the ECHR against Ukraine. Long before the court hearings, pro-Kremlin outlets are trying to devalue the ECHR, its decisions and sow distrust in the court.
This is an illustrative example of the recurring pro-Kremlin propagandistic narrative about ubiquitous Russophobia in the Western countries and international organisations, targeting ECHR. For background, read our analysis: The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest Feelings
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is one of the Council of Europe’s institutions that safeguards human rights in Europe. The ECHR is a judicial body whose task is to interpret the European Convention of Human Rights and to establish, in each set of proceedings brought before it, whether the conduct of a signatory state constitutes a violation of the claimant’s Convention rights. Russia's voting rights in the CoE was restored mainly to support Russian citizens because otherwise they would be deprived of the chance to defend their rights at the ECHR. The claim that the European Court of Human Rights is anti-Russian or bias is ungrounded.
See more cases in our database related to the ECHR which claims that the Court turns into a political tool against Russia; that ECHR strongly restricts the rights of expression; that ECHR makes all decisions based on its own anti-Russian logic of behaviour. See related examples of disinformation claims falsely alleging anti-Russian bias of international institutions: the OPCW, the World Anti-Doping Agency, the United Nations; also the EU.