The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, have signed, in Strasbourg, the agreement for the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, reports IPN.
“The Court creates a real opportunity to hold the leadership of the Russian regime accountable for the crimes committed against our state and people. We will continue to work to ensure justice for all victims. The criminals must be tried in The Hague and punished”, declared Volodymyr Zelenskyy after signing the agreement.
Prior to the ceremony, Alain Berset declared that “justice for Ukraine will not wait”, mentioning that for the first time an international tribunal is being created to address the crime of aggression. “Established within the Council of Europe, this tribunal will hold accountable those who have used force in violation of the UN Charter”, stated Berset, quoted by Euronews.
The initiative was launched on May 9 in Lviv, when the foreign ministers of the countries from the Central Group for the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine signed the declaration on the establishment of this body. Among the signatory countries is the Republic of Moldova.
Court proceedings could take place with the physical presence of the defendants or in their absence, and the punishment they may receive can reach up to 30 years of imprisonment, and in the most severe cases, – life imprisonment. However, as long as the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, holds his position, he enjoys personal immunity.