Council of Europe Secretary General assesses feasibility of launching "Putin tribunal" in 2025

The special tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine is expected to become operational after the adoption of an international agreement, which could happen as early as 2025.

Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset revealed in an interview with European Pravda editor Sergiy Sydorenko that establishing the tribunal requires creating its structure and providing resources, such as prosecutors and judges.

The Secretary General noted that the coalition of states working on the tribunal has already "reached compromises and solutions on all key issues" and that "the Council of Europe is ready to take the next steps".

"Our goal is to hold negotiations on the text of the international agreement this year. Following that, we need to organise a diplomatic conference to adopt the document – which should also take place in 2025," he said.

Berset acknowledged that launching the Putin tribunal in 2025 is ambitious but emphasised the need for such ambition.

"We cannot just wait, especially since the crime of aggression has already been recognised by the United Nations. If there is no court to handle this crime, we need to create one! Therefore, our ambition is to establish the tribunal this year." 

Discussions about the special tribunal for Russia's crime of aggression have been ongoing since 2022, as no international court currently holds jurisdiction over this crime. Progress on this matter has been slow.

Last year, Ukraine expressed support for the establishment of the tribunal through an international agreement rather than a "hybrid" tribunal within Ukraine's jurisdiction, which some states had advocated.

See the full interview with Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset on European Pravda.