You're reading: Kyiv hopes ECHR hears Ukraine’s appeals on Donbas, Crimea in late 2018 – early 2019

Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko said he hopes that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will start hearing appeals regarding Crimea and Donbas in late 2018 or early 2019.

Ukraine has lodged two international lawsuits against Russia over Crimea, two in relation to Donbas, and one in connection with abducted Ukrainian children, Petrenko told reporters in Kyiv on August 13.

“There is preliminary information that the court has grouped our five appeals into three proceedings. There is the proceeding on Crimea, which combines our two appeals, one proceeding on Donbas based on our two appeals, and a separate proceeding on children abducted and returned to Ukrainian territory. The court has formally confirmed that the Crimea and Donbas proceedings have been referred to the Grand Chamber. We are expecting the Grand Chamber to release information about the first hearings on these two cases, Crimea and Donbas,” the minister said.

Ukraine has presented an exhaustive legal position and materials for these proceedings, he said.

The ECHR has yet to schedule the hearings, Petrenko said.

As to when the hearings might begin, he said, “We hope very much that the hearings will begin late this year or early next year at the latest.”

The court will have to analyze a huge amount of evidence and question all witnesses, Petrenko said. “This is a rather lengthy process,” he added.