Russia expects the UN International Court of Justice to be 'objective and unbiased' in handling South Africa's 'genocide' case against Israel, said Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, while speaking at a press briefing in Moscow on Friday.
"We understand the motives behind the Republic of South Africa applying to the UN International Court of Justice. <…> Russia will certainly follow the process closely, as well as follow the process of formulating the court's consultative resolution on the legal consequences of Israel's policy in the occupied territories of Palestine. We're counting on the ICJ, being the UN's highest judicial authority, to be objective and unbiased. It is important that the trial doesn't exacerbate the conflict, but contributes to Israeli-Palestinian settlement based on common international law," the diplomat stated.
Commenting on Latvian authorities ruling to seize the Moscow House business and cultural centre, Zakharova called the move 'theft on a governmental scale'.
"It is the property of the Moscow City Government. We have already qualified these actions as raiding, theft on a governmental scale and a gross violation of international law, which guarantees that the property of other countries is inviolable. The Latvian authorities and the leadership of that country bear full responsibility, including material responsibility, for such lawlessness. We repeat that the steps taken by Russia will be tough and extremely painful for Latvia," she said.
On Thursday, the Latvian Saeima reported that in order to 'guarantee national security, including the prevention and timely averting of threats to a democratic state', it had adopted an 'urgent draft law' on the transfer of ownership of the Moscow House in Riga to the State of Latvia.
South Africa filed its case at the ICJ, the United Nations' highest court, last month, saying Israel had violated its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide - to which both countries are signatories, and calling for 'provisional measures' including a cessation of the IDF's military campaign, which has killed at least 23,000 people according to Palestinian officials at time of publication.
Article Two of the Genocide Convention defines genocide as a number of acts 'committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group'. The Convention also directs signatories to 'prevent and to punish' genocide.
Israel has previously called South Africa's claims 'baseless' and says its actions are a response to Hamas' October 7 attacks - which killed 1,200 people and led to over 200 being kidnapped according to its officials.
Both countries are parties to the ICJ, meaning any decision is legally binding, although the court has no powers to enforce a ruling.
Zakharova also commented on military support for Ukraine, saying that questions have been arising regarding the 'futility of excessive spending on Ukraine'.
"People have begun to wonder about the true nature of the ruling Ukrainian leadership, which seized power almost 10 years ago through a bloody armed coup d'état with the direct involvement of the Western regimes in Washington, London and 'collective Brussels'," Zakharova added.
She went on to accuse international organisations including the UN and OSCE of failing to properly address recent shellings in the Russian city of Belgorod by Ukraine's Armed Forces.
"The UN and OSCE leadership, whose direct duty it is to monitor and react to such facts, have also remained silent or have resorted to cursory appeals of a general nature. Apparently, they once again have no idea where these shells are coming from, who is supplying them and who is sponsoring the Kiev regime. EU countries have gone even further - better to say 'fallen even lower'. The French Foreign Ministry called the killing of civilians in Belgorod 'Ukraine's legitimate right for self-defence', while EU spokesperson [Peter] Stano said that 'no information coming from Russia should be trusted'," Zakharova claimed.
Belgorod has seen a number of reported strikes in recent weeks leaving multiple killed and dozens injured, according to local officials. 21 people and over 100 were wounded during shelling at the end of December. That attack came a day after Ukraine claimed 41 people had been killed in an aerial bombardment across the country, accusing Russia of hitting residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.Both Moscow and Ukraine have repeatedly denied targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
'We're counting on the ICJ to be objective and unbiased' - Zakharova on South Africa's 'genocide' case against Israel
Russia expects the UN International Court of Justice to be 'objective and unbiased' in handling South Africa's 'genocide' case against Israel, said Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, while speaking at a press briefing in Moscow on Friday.
"We understand the motives behind the Republic of South Africa applying to the UN International Court of Justice. <…> Russia will certainly follow the process closely, as well as follow the process of formulating the court's consultative resolution on the legal consequences of Israel's policy in the occupied territories of Palestine. We're counting on the ICJ, being the UN's highest judicial authority, to be objective and unbiased. It is important that the trial doesn't exacerbate the conflict, but contributes to Israeli-Palestinian settlement based on common international law," the diplomat stated.
Commenting on Latvian authorities ruling to seize the Moscow House business and cultural centre, Zakharova called the move 'theft on a governmental scale'.
"It is the property of the Moscow City Government. We have already qualified these actions as raiding, theft on a governmental scale and a gross violation of international law, which guarantees that the property of other countries is inviolable. The Latvian authorities and the leadership of that country bear full responsibility, including material responsibility, for such lawlessness. We repeat that the steps taken by Russia will be tough and extremely painful for Latvia," she said.
On Thursday, the Latvian Saeima reported that in order to 'guarantee national security, including the prevention and timely averting of threats to a democratic state', it had adopted an 'urgent draft law' on the transfer of ownership of the Moscow House in Riga to the State of Latvia.
South Africa filed its case at the ICJ, the United Nations' highest court, last month, saying Israel had violated its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide - to which both countries are signatories, and calling for 'provisional measures' including a cessation of the IDF's military campaign, which has killed at least 23,000 people according to Palestinian officials at time of publication.
Article Two of the Genocide Convention defines genocide as a number of acts 'committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group'. The Convention also directs signatories to 'prevent and to punish' genocide.
Israel has previously called South Africa's claims 'baseless' and says its actions are a response to Hamas' October 7 attacks - which killed 1,200 people and led to over 200 being kidnapped according to its officials.
Both countries are parties to the ICJ, meaning any decision is legally binding, although the court has no powers to enforce a ruling.
Zakharova also commented on military support for Ukraine, saying that questions have been arising regarding the 'futility of excessive spending on Ukraine'.
"People have begun to wonder about the true nature of the ruling Ukrainian leadership, which seized power almost 10 years ago through a bloody armed coup d'état with the direct involvement of the Western regimes in Washington, London and 'collective Brussels'," Zakharova added.
She went on to accuse international organisations including the UN and OSCE of failing to properly address recent shellings in the Russian city of Belgorod by Ukraine's Armed Forces.
"The UN and OSCE leadership, whose direct duty it is to monitor and react to such facts, have also remained silent or have resorted to cursory appeals of a general nature. Apparently, they once again have no idea where these shells are coming from, who is supplying them and who is sponsoring the Kiev regime. EU countries have gone even further - better to say 'fallen even lower'. The French Foreign Ministry called the killing of civilians in Belgorod 'Ukraine's legitimate right for self-defence', while EU spokesperson [Peter] Stano said that 'no information coming from Russia should be trusted'," Zakharova claimed.
Belgorod has seen a number of reported strikes in recent weeks leaving multiple killed and dozens injured, according to local officials. 21 people and over 100 were wounded during shelling at the end of December. That attack came a day after Ukraine claimed 41 people had been killed in an aerial bombardment across the country, accusing Russia of hitting residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.Both Moscow and Ukraine have repeatedly denied targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Russia expects the UN International Court of Justice to be 'objective and unbiased' in handling South Africa's 'genocide' case against Israel, said Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, while speaking at a press briefing in Moscow on Friday.
"We understand the motives behind the Republic of South Africa applying to the UN International Court of Justice. <…> Russia will certainly follow the process closely, as well as follow the process of formulating the court's consultative resolution on the legal consequences of Israel's policy in the occupied territories of Palestine. We're counting on the ICJ, being the UN's highest judicial authority, to be objective and unbiased. It is important that the trial doesn't exacerbate the conflict, but contributes to Israeli-Palestinian settlement based on common international law," the diplomat stated.
Commenting on Latvian authorities ruling to seize the Moscow House business and cultural centre, Zakharova called the move 'theft on a governmental scale'.
"It is the property of the Moscow City Government. We have already qualified these actions as raiding, theft on a governmental scale and a gross violation of international law, which guarantees that the property of other countries is inviolable. The Latvian authorities and the leadership of that country bear full responsibility, including material responsibility, for such lawlessness. We repeat that the steps taken by Russia will be tough and extremely painful for Latvia," she said.
On Thursday, the Latvian Saeima reported that in order to 'guarantee national security, including the prevention and timely averting of threats to a democratic state', it had adopted an 'urgent draft law' on the transfer of ownership of the Moscow House in Riga to the State of Latvia.
South Africa filed its case at the ICJ, the United Nations' highest court, last month, saying Israel had violated its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide - to which both countries are signatories, and calling for 'provisional measures' including a cessation of the IDF's military campaign, which has killed at least 23,000 people according to Palestinian officials at time of publication.
Article Two of the Genocide Convention defines genocide as a number of acts 'committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group'. The Convention also directs signatories to 'prevent and to punish' genocide.
Israel has previously called South Africa's claims 'baseless' and says its actions are a response to Hamas' October 7 attacks - which killed 1,200 people and led to over 200 being kidnapped according to its officials.
Both countries are parties to the ICJ, meaning any decision is legally binding, although the court has no powers to enforce a ruling.
Zakharova also commented on military support for Ukraine, saying that questions have been arising regarding the 'futility of excessive spending on Ukraine'.
"People have begun to wonder about the true nature of the ruling Ukrainian leadership, which seized power almost 10 years ago through a bloody armed coup d'état with the direct involvement of the Western regimes in Washington, London and 'collective Brussels'," Zakharova added.
She went on to accuse international organisations including the UN and OSCE of failing to properly address recent shellings in the Russian city of Belgorod by Ukraine's Armed Forces.
"The UN and OSCE leadership, whose direct duty it is to monitor and react to such facts, have also remained silent or have resorted to cursory appeals of a general nature. Apparently, they once again have no idea where these shells are coming from, who is supplying them and who is sponsoring the Kiev regime. EU countries have gone even further - better to say 'fallen even lower'. The French Foreign Ministry called the killing of civilians in Belgorod 'Ukraine's legitimate right for self-defence', while EU spokesperson [Peter] Stano said that 'no information coming from Russia should be trusted'," Zakharova claimed.
Belgorod has seen a number of reported strikes in recent weeks leaving multiple killed and dozens injured, according to local officials. 21 people and over 100 were wounded during shelling at the end of December. That attack came a day after Ukraine claimed 41 people had been killed in an aerial bombardment across the country, accusing Russia of hitting residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.Both Moscow and Ukraine have repeatedly denied targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.