Preparation for tribunal against Putin under Council of Europe completed

The group of states (Core Group) working on the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine has finalised the technical and legal documents required to launch it under the Council of Europe.

As a result of the meeting, the Core Group completed technical work on three draft documents: a draft bilateral agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe on the establishment of the special tribunal, a draft statute of the tribunal and a draft expanded partial agreement on the tribunal’s management.

These three documents will now be submitted for political consideration by the participating states.

Berset welcomed "the successful outcome of the Core Group’s meeting".

"I welcome the successful outcome of the Core Group’s meeting and the finalisation of the necessary technical legal documents for the establishment of the Special Tribunal within the framework of the Council of Europe," Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, said following the Core Group meeting. 

Berset stated that the Council of Europe is ready for the rapid launch of the tribunal and urged states to "demonstrate the political will to ensure" its creation.

Discussions for establishing a special tribunal for Russia over the crime of aggression have been ongoing since 2022, as there is currently no international court with jurisdiction over this crime. However, no meaningful progress has been made in a long time.

On 4 February 2025, during the 13th meeting of the Core Group countries on the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, participants approved the draft statute of the tribunal and reached an agreement to launch it through a bilateral accord between Ukraine and the Council of Europe.

Read more about the plans to establish the tribunal in an interview with Alain Berset: Tribunal on Russian aggression to start in 2025, no objections from Trump – interview