Latvia backs tribunal on Russia invasion

Latvia has announced its intention to join an agreement on establishing a special tribunal to prosecute Russia for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

The move was confirmed on Monday by Latvia’s representation to the Council of Europe, according to Europa Pravda.

Riga plans to join an enlarged partial agreement on the tribunal’s steering committee, a step that would make it one of the founding states of the initiative. According to the statement, the decision is intended to support the creation of the tribunal.

The body, being set up under the auspices of the Council of Europe, is intended to investigate Russia’s decision to launch its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an issue the International Criminal Court in The Hague cannot address because of legal limitations.

Its creation was approved by foreign ministers of Council of Europe member states at a meeting in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on 9 May last year.

(max)