Europe is organizing a special tribunal for Putin and his entourage: A historic decision has been made!

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has officially announced the initiation of the process to establish an international Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine. In global media, this tribunal has already been symbolically named the “Tribunal for Putin.”

This important and historic decision was made at a meeting held on May 14 by the ministers of the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, has been tasked with organizing the tribunal and coordinating its activities.

The Deutsche Welle news agency, citing its sources in diplomatic circles, estimates that all technical and legal processes related to the creation of the tribunal will be completed by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026.

It should be noted that in April of this year, a special working group consisting of nearly 40 countries, the European Commission, the European Union's foreign policy service, and various institutions of the Council of Europe completed the main draft concerning the technical aspects of this international tribunal.

It is worth mentioning that this special tribunal primarily plans to conduct judicial proceedings against 20 high-ranking officials of the Russian Federation. These individuals will be included in a special list prepared by the Ukrainian government and will not be able to rely on functional immunity linked to their official positions. These are senior political and military leaders responsible for planning, preparing, and executing the act of aggression carried out by Russia against Ukraine.

At the initial stage of the tribunal, among the individuals who may be held accountable are top officials such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. However, they may not be directly prosecuted while still holding office. Nevertheless, investigative actions will be carried out against them, evidence will be collected, and indictments will be prepared.

According to some legal sources, in order to issue court summons or arrest warrants against high-ranking officials, their diplomatic and functional immunities must first be lifted. Therefore, there is a possibility that the judicial proceedings against Putin, Mishustin, and Lavrov will be conducted in absentia.

This tribunal is expected to be an important step by the international community in delivering legal accountability for the crime of aggression committed by Russia.

The Zamin.uz editorial team will continue to closely monitor these internationally and historically significant developments and will keep you informed with timely updates.

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