Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset has welcomed a major step forward in Brussels today towards creating a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, within the framework of the Council of Europe. The 13th meeting of the international Core Group* of senior legal experts laid down the legal foundations of the Special Tribunal, including key elements of its statute.
“The Council of Europe has stood alongside Ukraine since the very first day of the war,” said the Secretary General.
“Last April, we opened a Register of Damage for those affected by Russia’s aggression and work on a compensation mechanism is now well under way. Furthermore, the European Court of Human Rights is still dealing with over 4,000 cases against Russia related to events in Crimea, Donbas and the wider war in Ukraine.
“Alongside this on-going work, establishing the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression within the Council of Europe framework will enable our international partners – notably including Ukraine and the European Union – to make full use of our experience and expertise in upholding human rights and the rule of law across the continent.
“Today we have seen important progress which will have a major impact on the people of Ukraine for generations to come. However, the hard work is only just beginning. We will not stop until Russia is held fully accountable and justice is done.”
*Created in 2023, the Core Group on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is a group of senior legal experts from around 40 states who have been working with the Ukrainian authorities, the EU Commission, the European External Action Service and the Council of Europe to seek justice for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression.
