European tribunal plans to hold Putin accountable for Ukraine

• The special tribunal, designed to examine Russian crimes in Ukraine and deliver justice, is to be based in the Council of Europe. Plans concerning its operation have been in the works since 2023 and were finalized in March 2025.
• Presidential immunity: Vladimir Putin cannot be prosecuted while he holds the office of the President of Russia due to the immunity he currently enjoys.
• The investigation involves more than twenty high-ranking Russian officials. The tribunal will concentrate on those responsible for the aggression against Ukraine.

The Council of Europe is working on establishing a special tribunal to judge Russian leaders for crimes committed in Ukraine. These plans, ongoing since 2023, were finalized in March 2025. The tribunal is to be based in the Council of Europe; however, details regarding its functioning remain confidential. Jörg Polakiewicz, head of the Department of Legal Advice and International Law in the Secretariat General of the Council of Europe, emphasizes that the tribunal can already investigate the leaders of Russia and Belarus.

Vladimir Putin, as President of Russia, has immunity, which prevents prosecuting him while he is in office. However, as Deutsche Welle notes, there is already talk of a "Putin Tribunal."

Oleksandra Matwijczuk, head of the organization Center for Civil Liberties, expects the tribunal to hold accountable those responsible for war atrocities. Matwijczuk reminds us that the Nuremberg Trials did not limit themselves to the top leadership of Nazi Germany.

The investigation involves more than twenty Russian officials. The tribunal will focus on high-ranking political and military officials responsible for the aggression against Ukraine. Gleb Bogush from the Institute of International Peace and Security Law at the University of Cologne believes that the circle of decision-makers in Russia has not yet been fully identified but may include about twenty individuals. Bogush criticizes the proponents of the tribunal for acknowledging Putin's privileges, which he believes reinforces the notion of his untouchability.

The plan concerning the tribunal must be analyzed by politicians, marking the beginning of a period of uncertainty. Gleb Bogush warns that some political factions may view the tribunal as an escalation of the conflict, potentially delaying the process of its establishment. The final decision requires a two-thirds majority vote in the Council of Europe, followed by ratification by the parliaments of member states.