Georgia declines to back tribunal on Russian aggression against Ukraine
Georgia refuses to back tribunal against Russia
On 24 June, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, comprising representatives from 46 member states, authorised the Secretary General to sign an agreement establishing a special tribunal on Russian aggression against Ukraine. Georgia did not support the tribunal’s creation. In addition to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan abstained, while Hungary, Turkey, and Serbia voted against.
On 25 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed an agreement establishing a special tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine, and approved its statute.
The campaign to create a special tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression against Ukraine was launched by Ukrainian legal experts and government officials shortly after the full-scale war began. The idea was inspired by an article by renowned international lawyer and professor Philippe Sands titled “Putin’s Use of Force Is a Crime of Aggression.”
During a debate in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Honcharenko reacted to Georgia’s position on the tribunal:
“A truly historic moment — the establishment of a tribunal against Russian aggression.
But do you know what? Six member states didn’t sign the agreement. And one of them is Georgia. Georgia itself is a victim of Russian aggression. 20% of Georgian territory is occupied by Russia — nearly the same as in Ukraine.
Georgia became a victim of the Moscow regime before us, and yet now refuses to support a tribunal against Russian aggression. Can you imagine that?
So the question is: who does the Georgian government really work for? Who are their masters?”
Tina Bokuchava, chair of the United National Movement party, also commented on her meeting with the PACE President:
“During the meeting with the President, a shocking fact was raised — that a representative of Georgian Dream did not participate in the vote on establishing a special tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine. <…> This is yet more proof of Ivanishvili’s regime being in alliance with Putin.”
Georgian Dream’s response
When asked by Netgazeti why Georgia did not sign the agreement to create the tribunal, Georgian Dream’s First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Giorgi Volski replied:
“You are an occupied country, missile systems are aimed at you. That’s one important factor. Second — no one yet knows how things will develop, including with regard to Ukraine. And third — which everyone forgets — Georgia, along with a number of European countries, appealed to the Hague tribunal asking to accelerate this investigation. What more can a country do that lives under daily threat and continues to survive and develop at gunpoint?
Saboteurs are attacking the country through the media and hanging on every word of some fool like Honcharenko. You’re all Honcharenkos.
What tribunal are we talking about? What can Honcharenko or anyone else do? Ukraine is drowning in blood. Georgia knows its own path and policy. There is no pro-Russian policy in this country. Georgia has signed more than 600 principled resolutions and statements in support of Ukraine. And yet they’re all ungrateful people — Honcharenko included.”
