Tribunal for russia: Verkhovna Rada appealed to UN, EU and Council of Europe

The Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution appealing to the UN, parliaments, and governments of its member states, the European Union, and the Council of Europe to create a special international tribunal regarding the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

As People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak (the "Voice" parliamentary faction) reported on Telegram, 283 deputies supported the decision.

"The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine calls on the international community of states to use all possible and available tools and opportunities to create pressure on the political and military leadership of the russian federation, which will much sooner force the russian federation to abandon the continuation of armed aggression against Ukraine, as well as to use the provisions on universal jurisdiction, within the limits of its own criminal legislation, to bring to justice persons guilty of committing the most serious international crimes on the territory of Ukraine," the appeal reads.

The Verkhovna Rada also calls on the United Nations, the parliaments and governments of its member states, the European Union, and the Council of Europe to establish a special international tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine, which will:

• have jurisdiction over the investigation and prosecution of the crime of aggression against Ukraine, allegedly committed by the highest political and military leadership of the russian federation;
• apply the definition of the crime of aggression enshrined in customary international law in Article 8 bis of the Rome Statute of the ICC;
• have jurisdiction over individuals who exercise effective control over or direct the political or military actions of the state;
• have the authority to issue international arrest warrants and not be limited by the absolute and/or functional immunity of heads of state and government and other state officials;
• have jurisdiction over all events since February 2014, the beginning of the armed aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine.

In addition, the Verkhovna Rada calls on the UN, the parliaments and governments of its member states, the EU, and the Council of Europe to step up their efforts to provide full support for the establishment of such a special international tribunal by adopting relevant legal acts, as well as ensuring participation in its work, full cooperation with the future special international tribunal, allocating the maximum possible human and financial resources for its activities.

On September 22, President Volodymyr Zelensky formed a working group headed by the head of his Office, Andriy Yermak, which will deal with the issue of creating a Special International Tribunal to bring to justice those guilty of aggression against Ukraine.