On the eve of the second anniversary of the start of “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation” on 24 February, all the bodies of the Council of Europe reaffirmed their support for the Ukrainian people and the defence of their fundamental rights.
In a statement published on Friday 23 February, the Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, refers to the “horrifying testimonies” she has gathered as part of her mandate, and highlights the tragedy of the thousands of Ukrainian children who have been deported, as well as the fate of the Crimean Tatars, who have been persecuted since the annexation of the peninsula in 2014.
A special ceremony also brought together the Secretary General, Marija Pejčinović Burić, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Theodoros Rousopoulos, the Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein on behalf of the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, Domenik Wanger, and the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the Council of Europe, Borys Tarasyuk.
The ceremony was followed by an extraordinary meeting of the Committee of Ministers devoted to the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression.
The delegates of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the Council of Europe renewed their support for the “Register of Damage” caused by the war launched by Russia and welcomed the forthcoming launch of the claims process.
They also welcomed the progress made towards the creation of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression and said they were ready to “examine possible options to ensure that the Council of Europe provides expert and technical support for the establishment and, as appropriate, operation of such a special tribunal”.
Link to the “Decisions” of the Committee of Ministers: https://aeur.eu/f/ayx (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)