Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday signed an agreement with the Council of Europe to establish a special tribunal to address the "crime of aggression" related to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The accord, signed with Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset in Strasbourg, sets out plans to create a legal body tasked with examining the responsibility of senior Russian officials for launching the war.
Speaking after the signing in Strasbourg with Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, Zelenskyy said: “Aggression must lead to punishment. We must make it happen together, all of Europe.”
He called the agreement a “real chance to bring justice” and stressed the need for accountability at the highest level.
“Every war criminal must know there will be justice, and that includes Russia,” added the Ukrainian President.
The proposed tribunal, the first of its kind created under the Council of Europe, is intended to fill a legal gap left by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which does not have jurisdiction to try the crime of aggression. While the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and several senior commanders, it cannot prosecute decisions to launch war.
Berset said the next step would be to expand the agreement to include more countries and secure broad international backing. The court’s location has yet to be determined, but it could begin work in 2026.
Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe in 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The 46-member body includes non-EU states such as Türkiye, the UK, and Ukraine.
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President Ilham Aliyev is holding his annual question-and-answer session with international journalists at the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum in Azerbaijan.
The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claims it has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
Tajikistan will reduce electricity exports and increase water reserves ahead of winter as the government seeks to improve domestic power supplies after last year’s seasonal shortages.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 13th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum will bring together nearly 160 media leaders, experts and officials from 54 countries in Azerbaijan's historic city of Shusha on 13-14 July, to discuss journalism’s role in peacebuilding, restoring public trust and tackling challenges.
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Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has promised to avenge the killing of his father, while U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran and Washington had agreed to continue talks despite an escalation of hostilities this week.
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China has maintained its highest-level rainstorm warning after Typhoon Bavi made landfall on the country's eastern coast, urging large-scale evacuations and emergency preparations across several provinces amid fears of severe flooding and landslides
A 93-year-old British woman has died after being injured in wildfires that swept through southeastern Spain's Almeria province, regional authorities said, bringing the confirmed death toll to 13 people.
More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across 27 European countries during a record-breaking heatwave in late June, with older people accounting for the vast majority of the toll, according to official mortality data.
An overnight fire at a popular bar in Bangkok has killed at least 27 people and injured 63 others, making it one of the deadliest pub disasters in the Thai capital in recent years. Authorities say the venue quickly filled with thick smoke, trapping patrons inside.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 13th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claims it has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
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