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36 states and the EU have signed the Management Committee agreement for the Special Tribunal. What it means in practice – and what still lies ahead. 17 May 2026 · Analysis · NGO Tribunal On 15 May 2026 in Chișinău, at the 135th Session of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, an event took place that is already being described as a historic shift in international criminal law: 36 states and the European Union signed the Enlarged Partial Agreement establishing the Ma

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling on the European Union to urgently join and finalise the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, reinforcing growing international efforts to ensure accountability for Russia’s war. The resolution, titled “Ensuring accountability and justice in response to Russia’s ongoing attacks against civilians in Ukraine,” was adopted on 30 April during a plenary session in Strasbourg with 44

Portugal has announced its participation in the creation of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine — a significant step forward in advancing international justice and accountability. The announcement was made by Portugal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, who described the country’s “complete participation” as a “very important development.” The decision reflects growing international momentum behind efforts to hold Russia’s political and m

Ukraine continues to build momentum toward establishing a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Russia, as three additional countries—Germany, the United Kingdom, and Moldova—have officially expressed their readiness to join the Expanded Partial Agreement. This was announced by Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, during a joint press conference with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv. “Accoun

The European Commission has taken a significant step toward advancing international justice by launching the process for the European Union to become a founding member of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The proposal, adopted by the European Commission, now awaits approval by EU Member States. Once endorsed, the Commission will formally notify the EU’s intention to join the Tribunal as a founding member, positioning the European Union at the c

On 23 February 2026, Kyiv hosted the international Justice Conference , a high-level platform dedicated to strengthening international accountability mechanisms and advancing practical steps toward restoring justice for Ukraine. The Conference brought together representatives of the Government of Ukraine, international institutions, diplomatic missions, legal experts, human rights defenders, civil society organisations, and international partners. The event was organised by t

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset , has stated that the legal and institutional framework for the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against the Russian Federation is already in place. What remains, he emphasised, is clear political commitment from states. Speaking at a joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiha, Berset expressed concern about the pace of progress. “Let me be cl

Representatives of NGO Tribunal took part in a high-level parliamentary roundtable, “Atrocity Crimes – Prevention, Justice, Victim Support,” held on 29 January 2026 in London. The event was convened by the British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on International Law, Justice and Accountability. It brought together parliamentarians, legal experts, and civil society organisatio

The European Union and the Council of Europe have signed an agreement to establish and finance an Advance Team for the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine , marking a decisive step toward holding Russia’s leadership accountable for launching the war against Ukraine. The joint initiative will operate within the framework of the Council of Europe and aims to lay the institutional, legal, logistical, and organizational foundations of the future Specia

Kyiv, 25 June 2025 — NGO “Tribunal” welcomes today’s signing of the agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe to establish a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression committed by the Russian Federation. The ceremony took place in Strasbourg, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić formalizing the accord. President Zelenskyy stated : “Today's agreement and this tribunal give us a real chance to

Kyiv, 23 June 2025 — NGO “Tribunal” officially welcomes the completion of the legal preparatory work for the creation of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression committed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The expert coalition of participating states has approved the full package of founding documents — the agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe, the statute of the tribunal, and an extended partial agreement enabling further states to join. “Thi

On 12 May 2025 , representatives of NGO Tribunal took part in the expert discussion “The Struggle for Justice in Ukraine: An Assessment of Russia’s Crimes and Options for Accountability” , held at Chatham House in London and online via Zoom. The event took place against the backdrop of Ukraine’s unprecedented effort to prosecute more than 140,000 war crimes cases , highlighting how international legal frameworks and accountability mechanisms directly affect access to justic

The establishment of a Special Tribunal to prosecute Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine must remain an international priority, according to a new report by the human rights organization Justice and Accountability for Ukraine (JAFUA) published on February 27. The report asserts that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine constitutes a crime of aggression under international law and that ensuring accountability is essential to prevent future violations. It warns tha

Negotiations regarding its creation are currently underway. [Photo: Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe (Vitaliy Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)] As reported by RBC-Ukraine correspondents, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset made this announcement during a press briefing in Kyiv. "We are also working on this [Special Tribunal - ed.]. We are involved in all the negotiations within the core group, and I hope that very soon we can achieve significan

The participants of the 12th meeting of the Coalition of States (Core Group) to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine in Riga agreed on the key parameters of the tribunal's work, in particular, its jurisdiction, and worked out a roadmap for its creation, the website of the President of Ukraine reported on Friday. “We have finally made significant progress this year. Ukraine's position is clear and unambiguous: we cannot and will not compromi

Representatives of NGO Tribunal took part in the expert event “Addressing Russia’s Use of Forced Displacement in Ukraine,” which examined how international law can respond to Russia’s forcible movement of people during its war against Ukraine. The discussion focused on mounting evidence that, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, forced deportation, forcible transfer, and arbitrary detention have been systematically used as tools of war and occupation. Particular a

Research Briefing 27 August 2024 By Dr Patrick Butchard Two years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, states continue to discuss setting up a tribunal dedicated to prosecuting aggression against Ukraine. This briefing outlines how a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression may be set up, and progress to date. Original language English Publisher House of Commons Number of pages 23 Publication status Published - 22 Feb 2024 READ HERE

To mark the second anniversary of the Special Tribunal's advocacy project, we launched a collaboration with the Ukrainian scarf manufacturer Shpalta . The Justice for Ukraine scarf has become a prominent accessory for the project's ambassadors around the world. It is worn by lawyers and politicians, professors and journalists, diplomats and aristocrats, experts and activists - all those who are working to achieve justice for Ukraine and its people 🇺🇦. Background : To date,

With the support of the President of Ukraine and on the initiative of the State Film Agency, the Ukrainian National Film Festival "Cinema for Victory", a film festival of films made during the Russian-Ukrainian war, was launched on the tenth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the second anniversary of the full-scale war. The organising committee includes the head of the State Film Agency M aryna Kuderchuk , acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy Rostys

On February 1, 2024, London hosted a high-profile conference on establishing a Special International Tribunal to hold Russia’s leadership accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine with high-level representation from the governments of Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. The event gathered many of the world’s top experts in the field of international tribunals, including lawyers, leading think tanks and academics. Following the day-long event,