Council of Europe secretary general expects "practical steps" on special tribunal for Russia's crime of aggression in 2025

Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, hopes that practical progress will be made in April 2025 towards the establishment of a special tribunal for Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine.

Source: Berset at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday, 5 December, as reported by European Pravda, citing Ukrinform news agency

Details: Berset expressed his hope that practical steps to initiate the work of the special tribunal could be taken by April next year.

He saw promising prospects for progress next year and emphasised the need for the broadest possible support from as many countries as possible.

The secretary general pledged that the Council of Europe is also ready to contribute to promoting the special tribunal, if necessary, in particular to develop an operational framework.

Berset concluded by expressing confidence in progress on this path, stating that while he could not provide further details at the moment, the process was ongoing and stressed that a step forward would be made.

Discussions about establishing a special tribunal to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression have been ongoing since 2022, but tangible progress on the matter has yet to be made.

The primary obstacle lies in differing approaches: Ukraine advocates for an international tribunal based on an international organisation, whereas key Western allies support a hybrid format, where the tribunal operates under Ukrainian law with backing from international partners.

Background: In November, the Coalition of States for the Establishment of a Special Tribunal agreed upon key parameters of the tribunal, specifically its jurisdiction, and developed a roadmap with "concrete next steps".

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