Council of Europe Secretary General: 36 countries approved the creation of a special tribunal for Ukraine

(Patria) - Council of Europe (CoE) Secretary General Alain Berset stated today that 34 CoE member states, as well as the EU, Australia, and Costa Rica, have confirmed they will join the future special tribunal for Ukraine, aimed at prosecuting Russia for its invasion of the country.

- The moment is approaching when Russia will have to answer for its aggression - stated Berset.

He emphasized that the tribunal represents justice and hope.

- Now we must implement this political commitment by ensuring its functioning and financing - Berset pointed out.

According to a CoE statement, 12 member states have not yet joined the initiative, including four EU members (Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Malta), four Balkan countries (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Albania), three Caucasian states (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia), and Turkey.

At today's meeting in Chisinau, the Committee of Ministers of the CoE adopted a resolution laying the groundwork for a "steering committee" of the future tribunal.

The European Commission stated in a separate announcement that it will allocate 10 million euros for the establishment of this judicial body.

The tribunal will aim to circumvent the inability to prosecute the "crime of aggression" before the International Criminal Court (ICC), which Moscow does not recognize.

The idea of a tribunal was launched last year by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who signed an agreement with the CoE, a human rights organization with 46 members, including Ukraine, writes Politico.

Russia, which was expelled from the CoE after the start of the invasion of Ukraine, announced that it will consider the decisions of the future tribunal as "null and void and without legal effect".