Special Tribunal for Russia: Zelenskyy signed the documents for ratification of the agreement
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the documents for the ratification of the agreement on the establishment of a Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression by Russia against Ukraine.
The agreement on the establishment of this special tribunal was signed by the head of state and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berse, on June 25. Now, the president announced, this document must be ratified promptly in order to "begin the process of real creation" of the new institution.
"I also instructed that the necessary legislative changes be worked out and submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as soon as possible, so that everything would be ensured one hundred percent from our side for the full implementation of the agreement on the establishment of the tribunal," Zelenskyy said.
This is the official ratification of an international treaty by parliament.
In addition to the Verkhovna Rada, the agreement on the establishment of a special tribunal must be ratified by the Council of Europe and the legislative bodies of partner countries.
The head of state asked the members of parliament to urgently consider this issue. The president also expects the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and his Office to provide a schedule for working with partners to implement the agreement and actually launch the institution.
"This year, Russia must feel that its responsibility for the crime of aggression is inevitable and that a real international legal process has begun to hold Russia accountable. Aggression is a crime, and truly inevitable punishment of Russia for this crime is a global interest of everyone in the world who wants a peaceful life for their people," Zelenskyy concluded.
- The International Criminal Court in The Hague can consider war crimes committed by the occupiers in Ukraine, but it lacks the authority to prosecute the invaders for the crime of aggression (the decision to use armed force against another country in violation of the UN Charter).
- In the future, this issue will be handled by the Special Tribunal – it will have the mandate to prosecute Russian high-ranking officials.
- However, there is a legal problem: the leaders of the Russian Federation can be tried in absentia, but there are restrictions while they are in office.
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