Ukraine marks major milestone in establishing Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression

On 4 Feb 2025, the European Commission, the European External Action Service, the Council of Europe, Ukraine and 37 States laid down the legal foundations, through their senior legal experts, for the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The participants also set out the key elements of the “Schuman draft Statute”, the core legal text that will govern the functioning of the Special Tribunal.

The meeting of the legal experts of the Core Group of States supporting the Tribunal was a major step towards ensuring accountability for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. 

The Tribunal will have the power to hold accountable Russian political and military leadership who bear the greatest responsibility for the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine. The Special tribunal will be established by an agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Council of Europe. 

Aarif Abraham acts as an adviser to the Government of Ukraine, instructed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and supporting the Office of President, through H.E Amb. Dr. Anton Korynevych. 

Aarif is led by Prof. Philippe Sands KC, and is part of a core team advising the MFA on the Special Tribunal since the full scale invasion Feb 2022.

More information can be found in the Official Press Release from the European Commission, available here and the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, available here. There has been broad media coverage of the matter. 

For further information about Aarif, please contact our International Practice Manager Naomi Smith.