International Bar Association calls for UN to create tribunal for Russia News
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International Bar Association calls for UN to create tribunal for Russia
The International Bar Association (IBA) adopted a resolution on Saturday calling for the creation of a Special Tribunal to try Russia for crimes of aggression in Ukraine. The IBA resolution condemns Russia’s war of aggression, affirms the IBA’s support for Ukrainian sovereignty, and urges UN member states to establish and international criminal tribunal for Russian leaders.

The Prosecutor General of Ukraine hailed the IBA action as a “decisive step” saying:

“The Kremlin regime is a symbol of violence, hatred and terrorism. We do not have the right to put up with the madness that he incites, completely disregarding international law, norms and values. With tens of thousands of brutal crimes that caused pain and suffering to millions of people.

Justice should not be limited to the punishment of ordinary executors. Their leaders, who used their power to spin this flywheel of evil, must be brought to justice. A special tribunal for the crime of aggression is the best possible tool to end impunity at the top of this criminal regime.”

Support for a special tribunal gained traction in the wake of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, which started in February 2022. Since then, experts have backed the tribunal. Many have also suggested suggest that any actions must place specific emphasis on crimes Ukraine and reemphasize Ukraine’s agency in the process of accountability. These experts call the tribunal a global game changer for international peace and security saying that “the establishment of a UN created tribunal will lay the ground work for a more stable 21st century.”

Efforts to hold Russia accountable for crimes in Ukraine have been endorsed through resolutions by numerous international organizations, including: the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. A number of countries have also adopted their own standalone resolutions to express their support for a tribunal, including Lithuania, Estonia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Germany.

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