Model of tribunal to bring Putin to justice for war in Ukraine to be agreed this year - Kostin

The model of a tribunal to bring Putin to justice for the war against Ukraine will be agreed upon this year. This hope was expressed by Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin in an interview with the Voice of America, UNN reports.

As for the creation of a special tribunal, we cannot wait until the war is over. Our task is to agree on the model of this special tribunal right now. It is very important that this tribunal has the ability to bring to justice the highest leadership of the aggressor country. My maximum task is to do everything possible to ensure that justice is swift and fair. That is why I hope that the legal model of the tribunal will be agreed upon this year, as it will take some time to set it up.

Details

Kostin also emphasized that the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression, which was established with the assistance of the European Commission, is already working in The Hague and preparing a case for the future tribunal.

According to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, 16 prosecutors from six countries are preparing materials for the future special tribunal in The Hague. The team also includes representatives from the United States.

Kostin emphasized that it is extremely important to investigate Russian crimes now, without waiting for the end of the war and the liberation of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. In this, Ukrainians are supported by international partners.

We know how Russia is trying to destroy evidence of its war crimes, including in Mariupol. That is why it is very important that we bring to justice now, during the war. This is a completely new practice for the world, and all our partners recognize this, and they are the ones who help us do this.

He emphasized that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies not only document and investigate, but also prosecute. The Ukrainian judicial system has already served suspicion notices to more than 530 potential suspects who committed war crimes against Ukrainian citizens. In addition, 82 verdicts have already been handed down in Ukrainian courts, mostly in absentia.

Von der Leyen: a war tribunal awaits PutinMarch 7 2024, 11:33 AM • 25339 views

Addendum

Last year, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Kareem Khan statedthat there are reasonable grounds to believe that Vladimir Putin and the country's Children's Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova are responsible for the forced deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children.