The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) yesterday unanimously requested the establishment of a special international criminal court in The Hague to prosecute Russian and Belarusian political and military leaders who "planned, prepared, initiated or carried out" Russian aggression against Ukraine.

"Without their decision to wage this aggressive war against Ukraine, there would be no crimes resulting from it, and no destruction, death and damage as a result of the war, including legal acts of war," the assembly declared.

At the plenary session, a resolution was approved based on the report of Swiss parliamentarian Damien Cottier.

Such a court should be "approved and supported by as many states and international organizations as possible, especially the United Nations General Assembly," the resolution states.

The Council of Europe should take an active leading role and provide concrete support, they added.

The Council of Europe is an international organization based in Strasbourg, founded after the Second World War to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. There are currently 46 member states after Russia withdrew from membership in March last year.