The Secretary General of the Council of Europe has approved moving from the signature-gathering stage to concrete action aimed at establishing a Nuremberg-style special tribunal to prosecute Russia’s leadership over its war of aggression against Ukraine.
The decision was announced during a summit of 46 European foreign ministers held in Moldova on May 15.
Officials say 36 countries and the European Union have committed to supporting the establishment of the Special Tribunal, which is expected to focus on the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine.
The Netherlands has already undertaken preparatory work to host the court in The Hague, which is home to several major international judicial institutions.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the move, describing it as a historic step toward accountability.
“Today is a historic day … The Hague will restore justice from the ruins of war,” Sybiha said.
The proposed tribunal would seek to hold Russia’s senior political and military leadership accountable for launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, drawing comparisons to the post-World War II Nuremberg trials that prosecuted Nazi leaders.
Image source: enlargement.ec.europa.eu
