European nations must provide budgetary support for the establishment of a special international court to prosecute those responsible for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, said the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset.
The Council of Europe, based in Strasbourg, signed an agreement with Ukraine in June last year to establish a Special Tribunal, aimed at ensuring that senior Kremlin officials — including Russian President Vladimir Putin — could one day face justice for the full-scale and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
“When there is aggression, there is responsibility. When there is destruction and suffering, there is responsibility,” Berset said, stressing that the preparatory phase is underway but that clear political will from states is needed to move forward with accountability mechanisms.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed that the court be headquartered in The Hague, in order to fill the legal gap that exists because the International Criminal Court does not have jurisdiction to prosecute the crime of aggression itself.
Meanwhile, the Council of Europe has also established a Register of Damages to document potential war crimes, as well as an administrative body to review compensation claims, known as the Claims Commission.
“We now need clarity on costs and budgets, as well as clear financial support, because the Council of Europe cannot shoulder this alone. This is a project far larger than us,” Berset emphasized.
