On January 26th, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg will hear the grand Donbas case lodged by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia.

In his interview with the European Pravda, Minister of Justice Denys Maluska explains how Ukraine plans to prove that Russia is responsible for the human rights violations in the occupied territories and make it foot the bill.

Here are the takeaways from the interview Maluska: Sooner or Later Russia Will Have to Sit Down and Strike a Deal on Donbas Compensations.

What Mr. Maluska is saying: "We are trying to prove that Russia has been controlling the occupied territories of Luhansk and Donetsk oblast and that a systematic violation of human rights took place there. Likewise, we are attempting to prove that people have been suffering there, that tortures took place and that they had no access to legal means of protecting their rights. All this is true."

On the subject of evidence: "We have thousands of written docs,  explanatory notes, plenty of videos that are 10 hours long in total. 

They include different testimonies, interrogations, criminal proceeding materials, gigabytes of photos, and other data. Most of the material we supplied is horrendous, for instance, testimonies of the victims, proof of death, murders, tortures. It is excruciating to watch all these things."

"We have sent all this material to Strasbourg for the judges to examine. We have evidence that Russia indeed occupied the Donbas."

"Since it is a lengthy process, we expect the first decision regarding our case in 2-2,5 years. This will be an interim victory followed by years of court hearings and submissions of new explanations, materials, and evidence. We are effectively pioneering the field as the case is intricate and of paramount importance. Not only for the ECtHR but for the entire European security system."

"The key part is to prove concrete facts in the court. Then, the victims will be able to demand financial compensation from Russia for its aggression."

Read the entire interview here (in Ukrainian) or watch our YouTube video.