Representatives from Ukraine, the Council of Europe, and 35 European countries held a meeting in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on the 9th, approving the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute crimes of aggression committed by Russian leaders since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The established special tribunal will work alongside the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to AFP reports, the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over war crimes and has already issued international arrest warrants for Russian President Putin and other Russian officials. However, the ICC is powerless when it comes to Russia's crimes of "aggression."
The report states this is because the country being prosecuted must either recognize the court (which Russia does not) or gain the consent of the UN Security Council, where Russia has veto power.
An unnamed European official explained that, at Ukraine's request and with the support of approximately 40 countries, it was decided to set up a special tribunal to prosecute the "crime of aggression" against 20 to 30 Russian officials, filling this "procedural void."
It is understood that if the aggression crime is deemed "extremely serious" upon trial, the defendants will face the risk of life imprisonment or a maximum of 30 years imprisonment. According to the rules for the establishment of this new tribunal, their properties may also be confiscated and fined. All these assets will be transferred to Ukraine's compensation fund, used for Ukraine's reconstruction.
At the Lviv conference, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell announced the issuance of 1 billion euros (approximately 4.826 billion ringgit) to Ukraine's defense industry, with funds derived from interest on Russian assets frozen by the EU.