Ukraine and the Council of Europe signed an agreement on a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: Christopher Neundorf/ EPA)

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset signed an agreement on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine in Strasbourg, the Council of Europe reports .

The agreement includes the statute of the Special Tribunal, which will allow Russia's military and political leadership to be held accountable.

"We have met at a critical moment to collectively support Ukraine, to support justice, to support the fight against impunity, so that order and the rule of law prevail. Today's signing is a crucial step towards the creation of a special tribunal to consider the crime of aggression against Ukraine," Berse said.

As Zelensky noted, the creation of a special tribunal gives Ukraine a real chance to achieve justice.

"Justice takes time, but it must happen, I am sure. And today's agreement and this tribunal give us a real chance to achieve justice for the crime of aggression. Other institutions, even international ones, do not have the tools to do this, and we need to clearly show that aggression leads to punishment, and we must do this together with Europe," he said.

As reported by the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, the International Criminal Court, which is already considering crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, has jurisdiction to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Ukraine.

However, it lacks the authority to prosecute the crime of aggression. This crime concerns the decision to use armed force against another state in violation of the UN Charter. The Special Tribunal would fill this gap.

The special tribunal has a mandate to prosecute high-ranking officials for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. It will operate in The Hague.

  • On May 9, the foreign ministers of the European Union countries and representatives of the bloc's top leadership approved the launch of a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
  • On May 14, the Council of Europe supported the creation of a special tribunal .