World court drops Georgia’s case against Russia

The UN’s highest court has dropped a case brought against Russia by Georgia.

Moscow is accused of rights abuses in the breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions, in violation of a 1965 anti-discrimination treaty.

But Russia says Georgia did not properly raise the dispute with Moscow or try to negotiate, as required by the treaty.

The Presiding Judge at the International Court of Justice, Hisashi Owada, said: “By ten votes to six (the court) finds that it has no jurisdiction to entertain the application filed by Georgia on the 12th of August 2008.”

Georgia, which fought a war with Russia in 2008, says it is disappointed by the ruling.

One minister said it was “ridiculous” to say there have been no talks between the two countries. The government maintains the case is far from over.

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