Czech president backs creation of special tribunal for Russia
He reported this on Twitter, according to Ukrinform.
"Investigating these crimes is important, which is why I unequivocally support the establishment of the tribunal. This is a key step on the way not only to peace, but above all to justice," Pavel said after the online summit on the creation of the tribunal, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held on May 9.
Prezident 🇺🇦 @ZelenskyyUa dnes uspořádal on-line summit o zřízení tribunálu pro zločiny agrese vůči Ukrajině. Prošetřit tyto zločiny je důležité, proto vznik tribunálu jednoznačně podporuji. Jde o klíčový krok na cestě nejen k míru, ale především ke spravedlnosti. pic.twitter.com/CRNNFySLSM
— Petr Pavel (@prezidentpavel) May 9, 2023
In a video address, the Czech leader recalled that the International Criminal Court could not exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression in the particular situation with regard to Ukraine. Therefore, he emphasized the need to intensify efforts to create a special tribunal to prosecute those guilty of the crime of aggression against Ukraine, calling it "our utmost priority."
Pavel noted that such a tribunal should have a sound legal basis in the system of international law, the widest possible support of the international community to ensure its legitimacy and should not raise tensions with the Ukrainian constitutional order and Ukraine's jurisdiction respecting the principle of complementarity. Moreover, he noted, its establishment should not weaken support for the ICC with regard to the situation in Ukraine.
Pavel expressed hope that legal experts in the Core Group who have already discussed the legal issues related to the Special Tribunal at quite some depth will be able to come up with tangible solutions.
On May 9, President Volodymyr Zelensky held the online summit of Core Group leaders on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The Core Group currently includes 37 members.
In September 2022, Zelensky formed a working group headed by Andriy Yermak, the head of the presidential office, which is working on the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's leadership for committing the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The creation of such a tribunal was supported by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and individual countries.
Photo: AA
