EPAM obtains ruling in ethnic cleansing dispute
Russian diplomats and lawyers, including a team from EPAM, obtained a favourable ruling for the Russian Federation at International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
The ICJ threw out a case filed by Georgia against Russia in proceedings that Georgia launched against Russia in 2008. Georgia had accused Russia of “ethnic cleansing” in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The ICJ ruled that it had no jurisdiction to hear the case because Georgia failed to seek a settlement before bringing the dispute to the court, as required by international convention. Georgia filed the suit at the ICJ on August 12, 2008, soon after the conflict broke out between Russia and South Ossetia.
Head of international arbitration Evgeny Raschevsky led for EPAM.
Georgian representatives were advised by Foley Hoag’s lead partner Paul Reichler along with James Crawford SC and Philippe Sands QC.