[While the Red Square parade was taking place, these 35 countries announced the establishment of a special court targeting Russia.]
On May 9th, ministers and diplomats from 35 countries as well as representatives of the Council of Europe arrived in Lviv, a western Ukrainian city, to attend a meeting on the "core group for establishing a special court to address crimes of aggression against Ukraine."
The foreign ministers of participating countries and representatives of other countries forming the special court alliance approved the establishment of the special court based on the "UN resolution regarding aggression against Ukraine" and the Vienna-Riga statement of November 22, 2024.
The representatives of the alliance stated in a joint declaration:
Welcome the completion of technical work on the legal tools project necessary for establishing a special court addressing crimes of aggression against Ukraine within the framework of the Council of Europe;
Confirm the importance of the special court in achieving judicial justice by holding accountable those most responsible for this serious international crime against Ukraine;
Emphasize that after its establishment, the special court will conduct litigation in accordance with its charter, fully respecting international law and human rights, to ensure accountability for acts of aggression and strengthen the international legal order;
Thank all personnel who actively participated in preparing the legal documents project required for establishing the special court, especially legal advisors involved in the work of the national alliance;
Highlight the core role of the Council of Europe in establishing the special court and recognize the contributions of the European Commission and the European External Action Service, including their work in legal documents;
Confirm an unwavering commitment to establish the special court within the framework of the Council of Europe, initiate its operations as soon as possible, and support its effective operation.
The alliance calls on other countries and international organizations to join and promote the activities of the special court targeting Russia. The next step in officially establishing the court is the Council of Europe Ministerial Committee meeting to be held in Luxembourg on May 13-14, 2025.
This declaration was reached in the presence of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kalamees and European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael Margetts.
In September 2022, the Office of the President of Ukraine stated that Ukraine had proposed to the G7 and other partner countries to support the establishment of a special international court to punish Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Subsequently, an alliance was formed to take charge of "establishing a special court for crimes of aggression against Ukraine." Approximately 44 countries joined the alliance. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and some countries support the establishment of the court.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1831658737719296/
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