Austria joins creation of special tribunal against Russian Federation, - Sybiha
Austria has joined the effort to establish a Special Tribunal for the Russian Federation, bringing the total number of participating countries to 20.
This was reported by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, according to Censor.NET.
What is known
"I am grateful to Austria and my colleague Beate Meinl-Reisinger for once again demonstrating that neutrality does not mean indifference. On the contrary, holding those responsible to account is critical to ensuring lasting peace on our continent," said Sybiha.
He noted that Austria’s decision brings the total number of states willing to join the Tribunal to 20, 19 of which are member states of the Council of Europe.
Justice is inevitable
The minister emphasized that each new participant confirms that justice for the crime of aggression against Ukraine is inevitable.
"This historic process of ensuring accountability strengthens our position and global respect for international law," the foreign minister added.
What led up to
As a reminder, France officially confirmed its participation in the initiative to establish a Special Tribunal on Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine.
Special Tribunal on Russian Crimes
- On March 21, 2025, at the final meeting in Strasbourg, work was completed on the key legal documents for the establishment of a Special Tribunal on Russian War Crimes.
- In April, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas stated that the European Union had concluded technical negotiations on the establishment of a special tribunal against Russia to punish the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
- Iryna Mudra, Deputy Head of the Office of the President, noted in May that the Special Tribunal on Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine could begin its work as early as next year.
- At its meeting in June, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted key documents necessary for the establishment of a Special Tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression against Ukraine.
- On June 25, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed an agreement establishing a Special Tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
- The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that it would not recognize the Special Tribunal on Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine and warned third countries against joining it.
- On July 1, 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the documents to ratify the Agreement on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal on Russia’s Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
- On July 15, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada ratified the Agreement with the Council of Europe on the establishment of a special tribunal to address the Russian Federation’s crime of aggression against Ukraine.
