On July 4, the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation recommended that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratify the agreement on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
This was reported by Interfax-Ukraine, citing the words of the committee chairman Oleksandr Merezhko.
Bill No. 0328 on the ratification of the Agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe on the establishment of a Special Tribunal, initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky, was registered in the Verkhovna Rada on July 1. The Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasized that the bill will be considered at the next plenary session.
What is known about the creation of the Special Tribunal?
Ukraine insists on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine, since the International Criminal Court and other similar institutions cannot at this stage consider cases for such crimes.
The need to establish a Special Tribunal for Russia has already been supported by a number of European and international institutions, including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assemblies of NATO and the OSCE, as well as individual countries (for example, France, Germany and Latvia).
On May 9, the heads of foreign ministries of European countries and the EU leadership expressed political support for the launch of the Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed documents to ratify the Agreement on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Russian Aggression against Ukraine on July 1. The President also instructed to work out and submit the necessary legislative amendments to the Verkhovna Rada as soon as possible. He appealed to the MPs to urgently consider this issue.
The Statute of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is also ready. The document does not mention personal immunities — even the current leaders of the aggressor state will not be able to avoid responsibility. One of Ukraineʼs important achievements is the introduction of a mechanism for considering cases in the absence of the accused.
This approach paves the way for holding the political and military leadership of the Russian Federation, and in the future — Belarus and the DPRK, accountable. More details about the main provisions of the Statute are in the news.
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