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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset will sign an agreement on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. This was reported by the press service of the Council of Europe.
The signing ceremony will take place on June 25 in Strasbourg, France. As noted, the tribunal will be established within the Council of Europe and will receive a mandate to prosecute the top leadership of Russia for the crime of aggression.
According to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the establishment of the international tribunal is "a historic step aimed at restoring justice" and a signal that "impunity for violations of the UN Charter is unacceptable." He stressed that Europe's security will be based on international law, principles and concrete actions.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe had previously completed work on the legal documents that form the legal basis for the establishment of the tribunal. The final decision was taken on 14 May 2025 at the annual meeting of the heads of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe member states in Luxembourg.
It is also reported that within the framework of the new mechanism, the International Criminal Court (ICC), despite the existing limitations of its jurisdiction, will be able to continue investigating war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed during the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The creation of the Special Tribunal, according to the international community, will fill the current gap in the legal mechanism for bringing to justice for the crime of aggression, which is not yet under the direct jurisdiction of the ICC.
Support for the establishment of the tribunal was expressed by countries that are members of the Coalition for the Creation of the Special Tribunal. The heads of the foreign policy departments of a number of states emphasized the need for its prompt launch and highly praised the completion of the preparation of all legal mechanisms.
