European Parliament approves resolution to establish tribunal on Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, the resolution was adopted by 472 votes in favour, 19 against with 33 abstentions.

According to the document, the European Parliament emphasizes the necessity and urgency of the leadership of European institutions and Member States in setting up a special tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine committed by the political and military leadership of the Russian Federation and its allies; believes that such a tribunal should be established on the basis of an international agreement between like-minded countries, with the support of the UN General Assembly.

Establishing a tribunal would, according to MEPs, fill a vacuum in international criminal justice and complement the investigative efforts of the International Criminal Court, as it currently cannot investigate the crime of aggression when it comes to Ukraine.

While noting that the exact modalities and composition of the special tribunal remain to be determined, MEPs stress that it must have jurisdiction to investigate not only Vladimir Putin and the political and military leadership of Russia, but also Alexander Lukashenko and his cronies in Belarus.

The European Parliament strongly believes that the establishment of a special tribunal would send a very clear signal to both Russian society and the international community that President Putin and the Russian leadership at large can be convicted for the crime of aggression in Ukraine. MEPs point out that it is no longer feasible for the Russian Federation under Putin’s leadership to return to business as usual with the west.

As noted in the resolution, the Russian Federation was recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism and a state that uses means of terrorism. Russia's aggression against Ukraine is a flagrant violation of all current norms of international law and the UN Charter.