Switzerland urges special tribunal on Russia's 'aggression' against Ukraine

According to the Swiss Foreign Ministry, Switzerland joined the global chorus on Thursday calling for the creation of a special tribunal to investigate Russia’s crime of “aggression” against Ukraine.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry stated that during a gathering of countries in Berlin that supported the idea of a tribunal of that kind, Switzerland declared its support for the project.

“Switzerland is firmly convinced that the aggression against Ukraine must not go unpunished,” it said in a statement, adding that in the past months the call has garnered support from 38 countries, including France, Germany, Norway, Guatemala, Japan and Canada.

The Netherlands, the European Union, and Ukraine have all openly supported the concept of such a tribunal.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has jurisdiction over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine, but not over the “crime of aggression” in this conflict, according to the Swiss Ministry. This is because neither Russia nor Ukraine has ratified the treaty that established the ICC.

(With agency inputs)