New special tribunal for Ukraine will pave the way for holding Russian leaders to account for the invasion

A particular tribunal has been established by the worldwide human rights organisation the Council of Europe (CoE) and the Ukrainian authorities to strive crimes of aggression towards Ukraine which might be used to carry Vladimir Putin and others to account for the February 2022 invasion and conflict crimes dedicated since.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed an settlement with CoE secretary normal, Alain Berset, on June 25, organising the particular tribunal. Topic to it securing the required political backing and finances the tribunal will probably be established inside the framework of the CoE (which isn’t a part of the European Union.

Work on the primary section of the courtroom might progress in 2026. In his speech to the Council of Europe parliamentary meeting in Strasbourg, Zelensky was cautious in his optimism however careworn that the settlement was “only the start”.

“It’s going to take robust political and authorized cooperation to verify each Russian conflict felony faces justice – together with Putin,” he mentioned. He is aware of, by way of years of onerous expertise as he travelled the world in search of assist from Ukraine’s allies, that political help could be fleeting.

A brand new Nuremberg?

Impressed by advert hoc courts established after main conflicts such because the Nuremberg tribunal after the second world conflict or, extra lately the Worldwide Felony Tribunal for the previous Yugoslavia (ICTY)
within the Nineties, the Ukraine has been established with the intention of holding to account the perpetrators of the primary full-scale armed battle in Europe within the twenty first century.

The prohibition towards the crime of aggression is a fundamental precept of worldwide legislation, and a key a part of the UN constitution.

In precept, the crime of aggression needs to be prosecuted by the Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC). However as Russia will not be a celebration to the Rome Statute which underpins the courtroom, that choice was dominated out. Equally, Russia’s veto on the UN safety council meant that it might be unattainable in follow to virtually arrange a courtroom below the mandate of the UN – because the ICTY was in 1993.

The Ukraine particular tribunal, which was developed by a Core Group, made up of states plus the EU and the Council of Europe, seeks to fill an apparent accountability hole. If the unlawful invasion is left unpunished, it might set a harmful precedent.

Such impunity would embolden Russia and encourage others with revanchist ambitions, undermining an already shaky worldwide order. The US, which was instrumental in organising the Core Group below the presidency of Joe Biden, withdrew in March 2025 when Donald Trump took workplace.

The statute of the particular tribunal units out that the courtroom will probably be based mostly on Ukrainian legislation and could have a powerful hyperlink to the nation’s authorized system. Ukraine’s prosecutor-general will play a key function within the proceedings, referring proof for additional investigation by the tribunal. However will probably be internationally funded with worldwide judges and prosecutors, and powerful cooperation with the Worldwide Felony Court docket. It’s more likely to be based mostly within the Hague – though this has but to be confirmed.

The necessity for accountability for the unlawful invasion of Ukraine was careworn in a decision of the UN normal meeting in February 2023 because the conflict headed into its second yr. The decision, which requires “applicable, honest and impartial investigations and prosecutions on the nationwide or worldwide stage” to “guarantee justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes” was authorised by an amazing majority of 141 states. Any nation on the planet can be part of this core group to help its institution.

Holding leaders accountable

Not like earlier worldwide courts, the caseload is more likely to be extraordinarily slender. There are more likely to be dozens of expenses relatively than tons of or 1000’s, which is probably reassuring by way of managing prices.

The tribunal will concentrate on these “most accountable” together with the so-called “troika”: the president Vladimir Putin, prime minister Mikhail Mishustin and the minister for overseas affairs Sergey Lavrov. Costs may additionally be levelled towards the management of Belarus and North Korea for his or her function in aiding, abetting and actively taking part within the conflict of aggression. However don’t count on Kim Jong-un or Alexander Lukashenko within the dock anytime quickly.

The Court docket has opted for a novel strategy to a longstanding customary rule by noting that heads of state usually are not functionally immune from prosecution. But it surely provides that indictments gained’t be confirmed till such time because the suspect is now not in workplace.

Trials can happen in absentia if the accused fails to attend and all affordable steps taken to apprehend them have failed. However, just like the ICC, the courtroom will nonetheless depend on states to apprehend and bodily switch indicted people sooner or later. This can inevitably restrict the probabilities of seeing any of the important thing people truly in a courtroom, one thing that has additionally dogged the ICC.

The truth that a tribunal has now been arrange is a serious improvement in worldwide felony justice. However it’s now in a kind of purgatory, present and never present on the identical time. To turn into operational, one other treaty referred to as an enlarged partial settlement have to be signed by states. This should be ratified by many nationwide parliaments, relying on their constitutions. This course of might take years.

However just by creating the framework for the tribunal, the Council of Europe has demonstrated its dedication to making sure accountability. In an extra improvement, the European Court docket of Human Rights delivers its long-awaited judgment within the case of Ukraine and the Netherlands v Russia on July 9.

This issues “complaints concerning the battle in japanese Ukraine involving pro-Russian separatists which started in 2014, together with the downing of Malaysia Airways flight MH17, and the Russian army operations in Ukraine since 2022”. The judgement will add additional momentum to those accountability efforts.

Symbolic as it could appear, this week’s settlement creates an actual alternative for the worldwide neighborhood to ship a message that impunity for worldwide aggression is insupportable – not only for the victims, however for all who consider within the rule of legislation.