The executive director of the International Bar Association (IBA) has called for immediate action on the establishment of special tribunal to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials accountable for aggression against Ukraine.

Dr Mark Ellis said that it had been well over two years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which he said had violated “the most sacred principle” of the United Nations Charter.

“Yet, to date, the Russian leadership has evaded accountability. This failure must be rectified,” he stated.

Immunity

“The creation of an internationally recognised special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine has advanced within the Council of Europe. The final step in the process is to ensure that the tribunal rejects head of state immunity, which would otherwise protect Vladimir Putin and the other aggressors from accountability.

“The time is now for the special tribunal to come to fruition; justice demands it, and so do the Ukrainian victims of Russia’s atrocities,” he concluded.

The EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said earlier this year that two main options were being considered for an international tribunal on the issue: an international court based on a multilateral agreement, or a simplified solution based on a bilateral agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe.

The IBA’s call came as the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two Russian officials – including the country’s former defence minister Sergei Shoigu.