Strasbourg: The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held Russia accountable Wednesday for "widespread" and "flagrant abuses" of human rights in Ukraine and the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

According to Anadolu Agency, the ECHR ruled that Russia violated the European Convention on Human Rights during the war in Ukraine. The court emphasized that it has never before witnessed such near universal condemnation of a state's blatant disregard for the international legal order established after World War II. The ECHR highlighted the severe nature and extent of the violence in Ukraine and Russia's ominous statements about Ukraine's right to exist, which have posed a threat to peace in Europe.

The ECHR also found Moscow responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, citing violations of the right to life, the prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to an effective remedy. The court criticized Russia for failing to ensure accurate verification of the missile target and to protect the lives of those on board, indicating a reckless attitude towards civilians at risk from its activities.

Flight MH17, traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, resulting in the deaths of all 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch citizens. In 2022, a Dutch court sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for causing the crash: Russians Sergey Dubinskiy and Igor Girkin, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko. Another Russian, Oleg Pulatov, was acquitted of all charges.

Despite the court's ruling, Moscow dismissed the verdict as "scandalous" and denied any involvement in the incident involving the plane.