European justmins in favor of holding Russian leadership accountable

TALLINN – The ministers of justice of Council of Europe member and observer states have adopted a declaration outlining a series of principles to achieve comprehensive accountability for the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine and provide redress to all victims of the war, including through the focused and efficient functioning of the register of damage caused by the aggression.

According to Estonian Minister of Justice Kalle Laanet, we cannot allow the Russian leadership to commit crimes of aggression or hide under the cloak of personal immunity.

"We support Ukraine in establishing a special tribunal, or a special international court for crimes of aggression, and we expect similar support from all others. I am deeply convinced that the creation of a special tribunal through the UN General Assembly is the right solution from a legal, moral as well as political point of view. This helps to maintain the world order in which we wish to live," Laanet said.

According to the Estonian minister, the establishment of the war damage register at the Reykjavik summit showed the commitment of the Council of Europe to its basic principles, which aim to achieve and maintain peace in Europe with the support of justice and international cooperation.

"It is imperative that all UN member states that have not yet joined the damage register do so now. This is a necessary step that will help to achieve and maintain a truly democratic, rule-based and international order typical of states based on the rule of law," Laanet said.