European Parliament moves to establish tribunal for Russian and Belarusian leadership’s war crimes against Ukraine
With a majority vote, members of the European Parliament have adopted a resolution to establish a tribunal for the war crimes committed in Ukraine by the Russian and Belarusian leadership. A press release noted the MEP’s joint conviction that
the establishment of a special tribunal would send a very clear signal to both Russian society and the international community that President Putin and the Russian leadership at large can be convicted for the crime of aggression in Ukraine. MEPs point out that it is no longer feasible for the Russian Federation under Putin’s leadership to return to business as usual with the West.
The tribunal is expected to “fill a vacuum” in the international justice system. Given the immunity provided to heads of state, the limits of the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction, and Russia’s membership in the UN Security Council, establishing a tribunal will supply the missing instrument for prosecuting the war crimes against Ukraine.
The resolution of the European Parliament is not legally binding.
