Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bilateral agreement with the Council of Europe at the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg to create a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
The news was reported by a Ukrinform correspondent.
“This is a truly important step. Today we are launching the process of creating a tribunal to try Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. Every war criminal must know that there will be justice — and that includes Russia,” Zelensky stated after the signing. “We are now significantly strengthening the legal front. There is still a long road ahead, but politically, we have already made substantial progress.”
He emphasized that the agreement and the Tribunal provide a real opportunity to hold Russia accountable for its crime of aggression.
“We must clearly demonstrate that aggression leads to punishment. And we must do this together, across all of Europe,” Zelensky added.
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset affirmed the organization’s commitment to justice and accountability: “The Council of Europe’s role is to uphold justice and accountability — through the European Court of Human Rights, through the Register of Damages and Assets, and now through the Special Tribunal. Ukraine can count on the Council of Europe.”
President Zelensky is also scheduled to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in an expanded evening session, where he will deliver remarks and respond to questions from Assembly members.
As previously reported, after the main agreement is signed, an additional agreement is expected to be signed by the Netherlands, which will host the Tribunal. The main agreement must then be ratified by the parliaments of Council of Europe member states and Ukraine.
Photo: Council of Europe
Source: Zelensky signs agreement to establish Special Tribunal
