17/02/2026 Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Titus Corlăţean (Romania, SOC), PACE's rapporteur on accountability for the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine, has issued the following statement on Estonia's approval of the future agreement establishing the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine:
"I warmly welcome the historic decision by the parliament of Estonia (Riigikogu) to approve Estonia’s wish to join the Council of Europe Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. By becoming the first state, besides Ukraine, whose parliament formally confirms its readiness to support the administrative functions and financing of the Special Tribunal, Estonia sets an example and creates impetus for other Council of Europe member and observer states to accelerate their own internal processes, so that the Special Tribunal can become operational without delay.
I also welcome the establishment of an advance team to prepare the institutional, logistical and legal foundations for the Tribunal, made possible by an EU contribution of 10 million euros. This advance team is, at least for the moment, based in Strasbourg, but could eventually be moved to The Hague as the Netherlands has confirmed its offer to host the preparatory phases of the Tribunal. The Tribunal will, however, only be able to operate fully once a host state agreement has been concluded with a participating state to this end. I therefore encourage the Netherlands, or alternatively other willing member states, to host the future Tribunal.
The need for justice is urgent and non-negotiable, not only for the people of Ukraine, who continue to endure immense suffering, but also for the stability of the international order as a whole. Only through genuine accountability and the establishment of effective judicial mechanisms can we effectively deter further crimes of aggression and uphold the fundamental principles of international law.
The Parliamentary Assembly will continue to support all efforts to make the Special Tribunal and other elements of a comprehensive accountability system a reality, in our pursuit of justice and lasting peace for Ukraine."