The European Parliament voted for a tribunal for Putin and Lukashenka
In the resolution adopted on Thursday, the members of the European Parliament demand that the political and military leadership of Russia be held accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. This was reported by the EP press service.
The resolution was adopted by 472 votes. 19 deputies voted against, 33 abstained.
The European Parliament states that the atrocities committed by Russian forces in Buch, Irpen and many other Ukrainian cities testify to the brutality of war and emphasize the importance of coordinated international action to bring the perpetrators to justice in accordance with international law.
Members of the European Parliament call on the EU, in close cooperation with Ukraine and the international community, to seek the establishment of a special international tribunal to prosecute the political and military leadership of Russia and its allies.
The creation of the tribunal, the members of the European Parliament claim, will fill the vacuum in international criminal justice and complement the investigative efforts of the International Criminal Court, ‘since currently it cannot investigate the crime of aggression when it comes to Ukraine.’
The political and military leadership of Belarus must also be held accountable
Emphasizing that the exact conditions and composition of the special tribunal have yet to be determined, MEPs emphasize that it should have jurisdiction to investigate not only the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and the political and military leadership of Russia, but also the self-proclaimed president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and his associates.
They also emphasize that the EU’s preparatory work on the creation of a special tribunal should begin immediately and should focus on creating mechanisms for the court in cooperation with Ukraine. Ukrainian and international authorities should receive support in collecting evidence that will be used in the future.
‘The Parliament is firmly convinced that the creation of a special tribunal will send a very clear signal to both Russian society and the international community that President Putin and the leadership of Russia in general can be convicted of the crime of aggression in Ukraine. Members of the European Parliament note that for the Russian Federation under under Putin’s leadership, it is no longer possible to return to normal relations with the West,’ the EP said in a press release.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the adoption of the resolution. ‘I call on all our partners to support such a tribunal. Russia must be held accountable for its war of aggression, justice must prevail,’ he wrote on Twitter.
Вітаю ухвалення резолюції @Europarl_EN про створення спеціального трибуналу щодо злочину агресії проти України. Закликаю всіх наших партнерів підтримати такий трибунал. Росія має бути притягнута до відповідальності за свою агресивну війну, справедливість має перемогти.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 19, 2023
