Dutch MP’s want special Putin tribunal set up in The Hague

The lower house of the Dutch parliament wants a special tribunal in The Hague to try Russian president Vladimir Putin and his associates for the war in Ukraine. A majority in the Tweede Kamer said they would support a motion to this extent filed by D66 parliamentarian Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, RTL Nieuws reports.

“It is essential that Putin, the one who is behind the terrible war in Ukraine, does not get away with it with impunity when this war is over,” Sjoerdsma explained to the broadcaster. He acknowledged that getting Putin in a courtroom is still a long way off. “But let’s make sure that if that situation arises, we are ready and can actually bring him to justice.”

The D66 calls The Hague a logical choice for the tribunal. It is the international city of peace and justice and already houses the International Criminal Court (ICC). And the ICC has previously successfully convicted war criminals through special tribunals. The Yugoslavia tribunal, for example, imposed a life sentence on former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

According to Sjoerdsma, a separate tribunal is needed to prosecute Putin. “Because it is now legally impossible through the ICC. There is not a single tribunal that can try him now. The ICC can do that for his cronies, but not for Putin himself.”

Coalition parties VVD and CDA also see the need for a Putin tribunal. The Netherlands needs to start taking steps now, VVD parliamentarian Ruben Brekelmans said to the broadcaster. “Because Putin will continue to thwart any form of trial, it must be considered early on how this can be designed in the most effective way.”

CDA MP Agnes Mulder: “To be prepared for the moment that the battle is over, the Netherlands must now plead for an International Special Tribunal.”

By adopting the D66 motion, the Tweede Kamer will ask Minister Wopke Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs to seek support from the European Union and the United Nations. The municipality of The Hague can also start looking for a suitable location, Sjoerdsma said.