Today at 01:09
At the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, the President of Ukraine signed an agreement with the Council of Europe to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
“This is truly an important step. Today we are starting the process of establishing a tribunal to prosecute Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. Every war criminal must know that justice will be served, and that includes Russia. We are now seriously strengthening the legal front. There is still a long road ahead, but politically, we have already made significant progress,” the President said immediately after signing the agreement.
He added that the agreement and the tribunal offer a real opportunity to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression.
“Today’s agreement and this tribunal give us a real opportunity to hold those responsible for the crime of aggression to account. Other institutions, even international ones, lack the necessary tools for this, and we must clearly demonstrate that aggression leads to punishment,” emphasized the President of Ukraine.
“We must clearly demonstrate that aggression leads to punishment. And we must do this together, across all of Europe,” Zelenskyy stated.
According to Alain Berset, the role of the Council of Europe is to uphold justice and accountability:
“Through the European Court of Human Rights, the Register of Damages and Assets, and now — through the Special Tribunal. Ukraine can count on the Council of Europe,” assured the Secretary General of the Council.
As reported, after the signing of the main agreement to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, an additional agreement is to be signed by the Netherlands. Following that, the parliaments of the Council of Europe member states and Ukraine must ratify the core document.
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine must be punished. The world must see that war crimes will not go unpunished, — Zelenskyy in his address to PACE.
The special tribunal will be a step toward ensuring that every Russian war criminal is held accountable, including Putin, the President of Ukraine added.
According to Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset, following the signing of today’s agreement, negotiations will begin on an extended partial agreement “so that as many countries as possible can join, support, and help manage the tribunal.”
Key provisions of the Tribunal’s Statute:
- No Immunities — Even current leaders of the aggressor state can be held accountable. The Tribunal’s prosecutor will be able to present indictments publicly and transfer them to the judge.
- International Jurisdiction — The Tribunal is an independent body acting on behalf of the global community and applying international law.
- Clear Definition of the Crime of Aggression — Based on Article 8 bis of the Rome Statute of the ICC and criteria from UN General Assembly Resolution 3314.
- Cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs — Proceedings can run in parallel. If a suspect is transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tribunal proceedings are paused.
- Trials in Absentia — The Tribunal allows for verdicts to be issued even without the physical presence of the accused.
