Solene Delinger
modified to
9:18 a.m., June 11, 2022
Philippe Sands was the guest of Europe 1 this Saturday morning. At the microphone of Jean-Pierre Elkabbach, the specialist in international law, jurist and Franco-British lawyer pleaded for the creation of a special tribunal to judge Vladimir Poutine. He insists in particular on the notion of the crime of aggression which, according to him, would make it easier to indict the head of the Kremlin.
For Philippe Sands, charging Putin with the “crime of aggression” would save time. Invited to the microphone of Jean-Pierre Elkabbach, the Franco-British jurist and lawyer once again pleaded for the creation of a special tribunal to judge Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Directly indict Vladimir Putin
The specialist in international law insists on the notion of “crime of aggression” because it makes it possible to directly indict Vladimir Putin while it is “difficult to prove war crimes and crimes against humanity”. Philippe Sands explains that Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, is working on the creation of a special tribunal with five other European countries, of which France is not a part.
“The number one country that is against this idea is France,” he laments. “I hope that will change.” For Philippe Sands, Russia is obviously guilty of a crime of aggression by one State against another, and the war it is waging in Ukraine is illegal because it has not been authorized by the Security Council.