The Sejm of the Republic of Poland endorses the idea of a Special Tribunal to prosecute the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The aim is to hold perpetrators to account and to demonstrate that international law must be enforced, reflecting a draft resolution adopted by the Sejm Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine
The initiative was brought forward by a group of PiS delegates, and the foreign affairs committee conducted its initial readings during a recent meeting. The text received broad support from all attendees, with only stylistic and editorial adjustments proposed by the Legislative Bureau to refine the draft.
The committee chair, Radosław Fogiel from PiS, highlighted that the project seeks the Polish parliament to advocate for the creation of a dedicated tribunal to address crimes of aggression against Ukraine. He noted that discussions on this issue have long circulated within the international arena.
There is already the International Criminal Court, which recently issued an arrest warrant for the leader of the Russian Federation, along with other international bodies that handle war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. Nonetheless, the question of aggression remains unresolved, and several countries, including Poland as a leading participant, are pursuing the establishment of a special tribunal for this crime.
Foguel elaborated further.
Wojciech Gerwel, deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who attended the committee meeting, stated that the ministry supports the draft resolution and the ideas it encompasses.
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What does the project entail?
The draft Sejm resolution on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine states, with the amendments taken into account, that the armed attack by the Russian Federation on Ukraine constitutes an act of aggression that is grave in its nature and scale, and a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, representing a form of criminal aggression.
It continues: the Sejm supports the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, with the aim of punishing those responsible for the crime, and notes that effective prosecution of this international crime requires proper securing of evidence. It also backs the creation of an International Center for the Prosecution of Crimes of Aggression against Ukraine.
The document further states that the Sejm emphasizes the necessity of prosecuting those responsible for international crimes in and against Ukraine, especially the crime of aggression, to prove that impunity has no place under international law, and it notes that individual criminal responsibility can extend to heads of state.
In addition, the Sejm pledges ongoing support and cooperation with Ukraine and like-minded partners in pursuing the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine.
– read out the final paragraph of the motion for a resolution.
wkt/PAP
Source: wPolityce