Today at 16:00
The Dutch government has approved hosting not only the preparatory stages but also the full operational phase of the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced.
According to Sybiha, the decision means the tribunal will be able to carry out its full judicial activities on Dutch territory once the necessary legal procedures are completed, UATV English reports.
“The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has decided to host not only the preparatory phases of the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine (Phase 0 – Advance Team and Phase 1 – Skeleton Tribunal), but also its fully fledged operational phase (Phase 2),” Sybiha said.
He noted that the next key step is for partner countries to complete their domestic procedures required for the Expanded Partial Agreement on the Steering Committee of the Special Tribunal to enter into force.
“We hope the Special Tribunal will begin exercising its jurisdiction as soon as possible and move to practical work. A solid foundation has already been established through the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA), which operates at Eurojust in support of the Joint Investigation Team,” Sybiha added.
The foreign minister thanked the Dutch government for what he described as a principled decision, saying it will enable the Netherlands, together with partner countries, to host the tribunal from its final preparatory stages through the start of its full operations.
Read Also: Sybiha Thanks Netherlands for Hosting Special Tribunal on Russian Aggression — MFA
