Nine Nations Reject Russia's Claim the UN Criminal Tribunal Mechanism Has Ceased

Nine countries – Bahrain, Colombia, Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Panama, the United Kingdom and the United States – issued a joint letter on 28 July rejecting the Russian Federation’s assertion that the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) stopped operating on 1 July. The letter, addressed to UN Secretary‑General António Guterres and the President of the Security Council, states that the Mechanism continues to function under its statute and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The signatories cite paragraph 17 of resolution 1966 (2010), which mandates the Mechanism’s operation for two‑year periods after each review unless the Council decides otherwise. They note that the Council has not adopted a resolution to close the Mechanism and that the UN Secretariat confirms its ongoing work, including the appointment of judges and the designation of Gati Sandana as President of the Mechanism. Russia’s letters of 2 July and 21 July claiming the Mechanism’s cessation are described as “erroneous” by the nine countries.