The Special Tribunal is part of the Council of Europe’s broader efforts to support Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression.
The Special Tribunal will investigate, prosecute and try individuals who bear the greatest responsibility for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. It aims to address the gap arising from the limitations in the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
The Special Tribunal will sit within the institutional framework of the Council of Europe. A bilateral agreement between the Council of Europe and Ukraine to establish the Tribunal was signed in Strasbourg on 25 June 2025. The Statute of the Special Tribunal is annexed to the agreement.
After the signature of the bilateral agreement, interested parties – including Council of Europe members and non-member states from around the world, and the European Union – can indicate their interest to join the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal. This will ensure funding for the Special Tribunal and oversight of its running, so that it can carry out its statutory duties.
News
Timeline
14 May 2025
Ukraine asks the Council of Europe to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
24 June 2025
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers authorises the establishment of the enlarged partial agreement by all states that voted in favour of UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/ES-11/1 of 2 March 2022 on aggression against Ukraine. The committee also authorises the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to sign the bilateral agreement on behalf of the organisation.
25 June 2025
Ukraine and the Council of Europe sign the bilateral agreement.
15 July 2025
The Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) ratifies the agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe on establishing a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
17 October 2025
Netherlands formalises offer to host the seat of the Special Tribunal in its preparatory phase.
23 January 2026
The Council of Europe and the European Union sign an agreement on the financing of an advance team to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, within the framework of the Council of Europe.
(default)15 May 2026
36 countries and the European Union adopt the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine at the 135th Session of the Committee of Ministers in Chişinău, Republic of Moldova.
Useful links
- The Council of Europe’s support for Ukraine »
- International compensation mechanism for Ukraine: Register of Damage and International Claims Commission »
- Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026 »
- Special Envoy of Secretary General on the situation of children of Ukraine »
- European Court of Human Rights and Ukraine »