France begins work on proposal to establish a Special Tribunal on Russia’s crime of aggression in Ukraine

France, together with its European and Ukrainian partners, has begun working on the “proposal to establish a Special Tribunal on Russia’s Crime of Aggression against Ukraine”, as per the website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“For France, the fight against impunity for crimes committed in Ukraine following the Russian aggression is a priority. We fully support Ukraine’s judicial system and the International Criminal Court, both of which have jurisdiction to conduct impartial, independent investigations aimed at ensuring accountability for those responsible for such crimes,” the message reads.

The ministry confirmed the words of the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who declared yesterday that the work of the Special Tribunal would be aimed at obtaining “the broadest possible consensus on this project among members of the international community”.

Yesterday, 30 November, von der Leyen proposed to establish a specialised court, which would be backed by the United Nations, to investigate and prosecute Russia’s crime of aggression. “Russia must pay for its horrific crimes, including for its crime of aggression against a sovereign state. This is why, while continuing to support the International Criminal Court, we are proposing to set up a specialised court, backed by the United Nations, to investigate and prosecute Russia’s crime of aggression,” von der Leyen said.