Justice ministers of Council of Europe (CoE) member countries will discuss further steps towards establishing a Special Tribunal to investigate Russia's international crimes in Ukraine at an international conference in Vilnius on Thursday.
This was reported by the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT.
According to Lithuania's Ministry of Justice, the high-level conference, "On the Path to Accountability for International Crimes in Ukraine," is one of the key events during Lithuania's presidency of the CoE Committee of Ministers.
The conference will take place at the Palace of the Grand Dukes in the historic center of Vilnius. CoE justice ministers will discuss the next steps in ensuring criminal accountability for Russia's unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. The discussions will address challenges and potential solutions related to maintaining unified standards for national investigations, the quality of evidence, and the possibility of issuing in absentia verdicts to ensure effective justice.
The conference will also include the signing of the CoE Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law.
Participants will include CoE Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE Theodoros Roumpoulos, CoE Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, other CoE representatives, justice ministers from member states, and Ukrainian officials.
According to Lithuania's Ministry of Justice, around 200 participants are expected to attend the event.
Lithuania has been chairing the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) since May 17.
