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Thirty-four European states, plus Australia, Costa Rica and the European Union, have agreed to support the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
The Council of Europe said on Friday that its Committee of Ministers approved a resolution laying the groundwork for the court, which is intended to address the “crime of aggression” linked to Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last year signed an agreement with the Council of Europe to create the legal framework for the tribunal.
The body said 34 member states, along with the EU as an institution, Australia and Costa Rica, have now indicated their intention to join the arrangement once it is formally established.
The Council of Europe secretary general, Alain Berset, said in a statement that accountability for the invasion was drawing closer, describing the tribunal as a mechanism for justice and international responsibility, while stressing the need to secure its funding and operational structure.
“The time for Russia to be held to account for its aggression is fast approaching,” said Berset.
“The special tribunal represents justice and hope. Action now needs to be taken to follow up on this political commitment by securing the tribunal’s functioning and funding,” he added.
Russia, which was expelled from the Council of Europe in 2022 following the invasion, would not be part of the process.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has already issued arrest warrants for Putin over the abduction of Ukrainian children and four of his top commanders for targeting civilians.
But the ICC does not have the jurisdiction to prosecute Russia for the more fundamental decision to launch the invasion.
Twelve Council of Europe member states have not yet joined the tribunal agreement, including EU members Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Malta.
Others yet to sign on include four Balkan countries, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Albania, as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.
