Russia Threatens to Take Baltic States to International Court Over Alleged Human Rights Violations

Kathmandu – Accusing the Baltic states of violating the human rights of Russian citizens, Russia has threatened to take the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). According to the Russian news agency TASS, Russia had been attempting to resolve the issues with Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia through dialogue. However, after these efforts failed, Russia decided to pursue legal action. The Russian Foreign Ministry disclosed this information to the newspaper Izvestia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry sharply criticized the treatment of the Russian community by the Baltic countries. In its statement, the ministry said, “We repeatedly urged Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia to rectify their mistakes at the international level. However, the authorities of these countries refused to end their unlawful policies. All our efforts to resolve disagreements through talks have failed. Therefore, we must now present our claims to the primary judicial body of the United Nations.”

The ministry further highlighted that it has been drawing the United Nations’ attention to the repression of Russian-speaking populations, social activists, and human rights defenders in the Baltic countries. Russia accused Latvia of removing dissenting voices from the information sphere under the pretext of countering “Russian propaganda.” Additionally, the Russian Foreign Ministry contended that Estonia’s constitution prioritizing ethnic Estonians results in blatant violations of the rights of minority Russian citizens residing there.