Council of Europe takes steps towards special tribunal on Russian aggression in Ukraine

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has instructed its Secretary General to prepare documents that could potentially lead to an agreement with Ukraine on establishing a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on 30 April 2024. Discussions regarding a special tribunal on the crime of aggression have been ongoing since 2022, but there has been no practical progress on this issue for a long time, as Ukraine advocates for the creation of an international tribunal (i.e., based on an international organization), while key Western allies favor a so-called hybrid format (where the tribunal takes place under Ukrainian law but with the support of international partners). Kuleba welcomed the decision and thanked all members of the Committee who supported this step. "This significant decision directs the CoE Secretary General to prepare the necessary documents to facilitate consultations in the Core Group on the Tribunal and the potential project of an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe on its actual establishment," he said. The decision also approves further work on a possible additional agreement regarding the financing of such a tribunal. "This is an important practical step towards putting the tribunal into action. Each such step brings us closer to proving that justice for the crime of aggression against Ukraine is inevitable," Kuleba stressed.

"We continue to work to ensure that a fully operational tribunal delivers this justice. This is critical not only for all Ukrainians who have suffered as a result of Russian aggression, but also for all nations seeking to live in a peaceful and secure world," Kuleba said.

• The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) officially started its operations on 3 July 2023 in The Hague. The ICPA will support and coordinate the preparation of cases on crimes of aggression, preserving key evidence and facilitating the process of case building at an early stage.
• This is the first instance of creating an initiative to investigate the crime of aggression with international support since World War II.

Related: 

• We have a dream: why the world needs a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine
• How Ukraine is preparing a Tribunal for Putin
• Nuremberg II: steps taken towards a Tribunal for Putin and his henchmen