Russia is preparing to take matter to International Court of Justice over "surge in Russophobia" in Baltic states
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its intention to file a case with the International Court of Justice, accusing the Baltic states of "fostering Russophobia at the state level."
According to Censor.NET, this is stated in a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Accusations against Russia
- The Russian Foreign Ministry claims that since the start of the full-scale invasion, the authorities in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have allegedly "sharply intensified pressure" on the Russian-speaking population.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, as usual, complained about the exclusion of the Russian language from the education system, the removal of Soviet monuments, and the renaming of streets. Moscow was particularly unhappy with Latvia’s requirement that Russian citizens demonstrate proficiency in the official language in order to renew their residence permits.
"Oppression of Russians"
In addition, Russian diplomats expressed outrage over the case of Alexander Gapenko, the 72-year-old leader of the pro-Russian movement "Congress of Non-Citizens." A Latvian court sentenced him to 10 years in prison for activities against Latvia’s national security, as well as for inciting ethnic hatred and hostility. In Moscow, this verdict was called "persecution."
"In light of this, we will likely have to pursue our claims through legal channels by appealing to the UN's principal judicial body—the International Court of Justice," the Foreign Ministry stated.
