Austria joins group of 33 nations calling for establishment of tribunal for Russia

Austria has become the latest country to join a group of 33 nations backing the idea of establishing a special tribunal for Russia as its invasion continues to devastate Ukraine. The announcement was made on Twitter by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who expressed his gratitude to Vienna for the support. 

"I'm grateful to Austria for joining the coalition of countries working to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine. 33 states are already part of the Core Group. As the number grows, so does trust that Russia's leadership will be held to account," the Minister said.

In September last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set up a working group under the leadership of Andriy Yermak, the head of his office. The group was created to evaluate the possibility of establishing a special tribunal to prosecute Russia for the war crimes it has committed in Ukraine during the ongoing war. 

I’m grateful to Austria for joining the coalition of countries working to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine. 33 states are already part of the Core Group. As the number grows, so does trust that Russia’s leadership will be held to account.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba)

Zelenskyy calls for holding Russia accountable for war crimes

In a meeting held in Kyiv, Zelenskyy offered “tasks and assignments” to diplomats, according to Ukraine Ambassador-at-Large Anton Korynevych. He also highlighted the importance of creating “an ad hoc special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine,” VOA reported citing Korynevych. 

Later on, Korynevych addressed a panel discussion at the New York City Bar Association and said: “We’re in all the courts, but we see that these mechanisms and tools are not enough. There is no international court or tribunal which can try … Russian political and military leadership for the commission of the crime of aggression against Ukraine.”

Lately, the call for a special tribunal has been backed by NATO, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe. Earlier in February, the European Commission revealed its plans to create a prosecutor’s office in The Hague to begin investigations into war crimes.