Trial without perpetrator: Ukraine's MFA explains whether Putin can face tribunal in absentia
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
A special tribunal on Russian leadership involved in the war against Ukraine may be held in absentia. Ukraine and its partners are discussing this possibility, as Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anton Korynevych said during a press briefing.
"We should not talk about a tribunal in absentia, but rather about the process. Because a tribunal is an institution, it is a court. Accordingly, a court can work either in the presence of the accused persons or in their absence," the ambassador explained.
Korynevych added that currently, the majority of international tribunals do not operate in absentia. However, tribunals based on national judicial systems work according to the forms adopted by a specific country.
"So it will depend on the basis on which the special tribunal is established. It undoubtedly depends on the consultations we have conducted and will continue to have with our partners. Therefore, there are many 'hidden rocks' in the question of the proceedings, including ensuring the right to a fair trial and various other standards," the ambassador added.
Coalition for setting the special tribunal
Previously, Korynevych said that Ukraine is forming a coalition (core group) to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression. According to him, 38 countries and several international organizations have already joined the coalition.
It has also been announced in the Verkhovna Rada that the International Special Tribunal may start operating as early as next year.
