CrimeaSOS: the ECHR decision on Crimea can be used in further proceedings against the russian federation
15 / 07 / 2025
The ECHR decision in the case of “Borovinskikh and Others v. russia” of June 12, 2025 is of significant importance in the context of collecting evidence of international crimes committed by the russian federation, in particular in the occupied Crimea. This was stated by CrimeaSOS international advocacy expert Artem Oliinyk.
“It should be recognized that the decision is important in its entirety — as both a collection of evidence and an objective recognition of russia’s guilt in violations, which can be used in subsequent processes,” — Artem Oliinyk noted.
According to him, the decisions of international courts are not only compensatory in nature for victims, but are also important for stopping illegal acts: “The value of the ECHR and similar international bodies is not to provide victims with some form of compensation (although this is certainly important, given the possible health problems and damage caused by the repressive system), but to eliminate such unlawful practices and demand respect for people on the basis of their fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech and conscience.”
It is worth noting that the events described in the case took place in early March 2022, when the russian federation was still formally a member of the Council of Europe and subject to the jurisdiction of the ECHR. There are currently thousands of similar applications under consideration. However, given the russian federation’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe and new russian legislation prohibiting the implementation of ECHR decisions that did not enter into force by March 15, 2022, the legal levers of influence on the aggressor state are significantly limited.
Despite this, the work of the ECHR continues, and the international community continues receiving legally confirmed facts about human rights violations. The Court’s decisions can be used as part of a systematic record of russia’s crimes in further international accountability processes, including future cases regarding crimes in occupied Crimea.
We would like to remind you that, on June 12, 2025, the ECHR adopted new decisions in the case of “Borovinskikh and Others v. russia,” recognizing the repressions against residents of Crimea for “discrediting the russian army as a violation of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.”