Ukrainian President's Office explains when tribunal on Russian aggression will start work and issue verdicts

The first verdicts by the special tribunal on Russia's aggression against Ukraine could come in 2028, while the actual preparation of evidence has been underway for a long time.

Source: Iryna Mudra, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office, who oversees efforts to hold Russia internationally accountable, in an interview with European Pravda

Details: The final step towards establishing the special tribunal will be the signing of the relevant partial enlarged agreement at the Council of Europe ministerial meeting in Chișinău on 14-15 May.

The tribunal will be based in The Hague, where a building has already been selected and will begin with its first stage, the Skeleton Tribunal.

At the Skeleton Tribunal stage, a steering committee will operate and recruit judges, prosecutors and investigators. The selection process for judges is expected to be launched by the end of 2026. Member states of the special tribunal will be able to nominate judges and prosecutors.

Quote: "We expect the work of prosecutors and investigators to begin no earlier than late 2027, or even in 2028. Accordingly, verdicts should not be expected before 2028. I want to stress here that lengthy investigations will not be needed, because a large part of this work is already being done by the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine in the Netherlands. They are already collecting the entire body of evidence on the [Russian] aggression and will hand over a ready-made product to the tribunal."

More details: Mudra noted that the tribunal will examine the actions of up to 30 people from Russia's top political and military leadership.

Quote: "And, of course, it includes the three most senior figures in Russia [as of 2022 – ed.]: the president, prime minister and foreign minister. This tribunal for Putin, or tribunal for Russia's top military and political leadership, is now moving from the political field to the stage of implementation."

Background: Mudra also pointed out that Ukraine will not agree to any concessions on Russia's accountability for aggression as part of negotiations to end the Russo-Ukrainian war.

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