The Ukrainian leader signs an agreement with the Council of Europe to establish a special court to someday put the high Russian officials in trial.
The Ukrainian president, Volodyymyr Zenskyy, has asked for the prosecution of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he accused of being a “war criminal” for launching Russia’s attack against Ukraine.
Zenskyy issued the call on Wednesday night after he signed an agreement with the Council of Europe to establish a special court to process Russian officials, including Putin, for the invasion of Ucrine.
“We need to clearly show that the aggression leads to punishment, and we must make it happen together, all of Europe,” Zenskyy said after signing the agreement with the secretary general of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset.
“A strong political and legal courage will be needed to ensure that each Russian war criminal face justice, including Putin,” said Zenskyy.
Putin already faces a court order issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for the alleged war crime to illegally transport children from Ukraine.
The ICC has the jurisdiction to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, but does not have the jurisdiction to investigate “crimes of aggression” or the use of the armed force included another state.
The Special Court is being established for one day to prosecute the “crime of aggression” of Russia for the large -scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The court could, in theory, present high -level Russian figures, including Putin.
He has not yet decided where the court would be based, but Zenskyy said that Haya, the home of the ICC, would be “perfect.”
This is the first time that such court has established bones under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the agency of the main rights of the continent.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said prior to the Special Court “would give Ukraine a path to justice for the higher level of invading its territory, an error that is not an Otherly court or court.”
The European Council said that the proponious court could potentially be used to process North Korean and Belarusa people who helped Russia in the invasion.
The Council of Europe of 46 members is not part of the European Union and members include key European states that are not from the EU as Turkiye, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. Russia was expelled from the body following her invasion of Ukraine.
Together with his judgment order for Putin, the ICC is also looking for the trial of four of Russia’s main commanders to attack civilians.
