The lawyer answered whether Putin can be tried in his absence.

The President of the Ukrainian Association of International Law, Olga Butkevych, explained whether the Russian dictator Putin can be tried without his presence. According to her, such a procedure does exist in international law.

Olga Butkevych told News.LIVE journalist Halyna Ostapovets in a comment that Putin can indeed be tried without his presence. There is a procedure in international law that allows a criminal to be tried in absentia.

'If we talk about the higher military-political leadership of Russia, a special tribunal for the crime of aggression was created specifically for the condemnation of such criminals, and recently ratified by the Verkhovna Rada. Because the crime of aggression is a so-called leader's crime, and the higher military-political leadership of Russia is responsible for it.'

Several sentences have already been handed down in Ukraine to Russian war criminals under this procedure. In addition, the International Criminal Court is also addressing these issues. There is a procedure in international law called 'in absentia' — when a person can be tried without their presence.

'In this form, several sentences have already been handed down in Ukraine to Russian criminals for committing war crimes on Ukrainian territory — such as murders, torture of civilians. This has already been done.'

The President of the Ukrainian Association of International Law noted that while this procedure has its drawbacks, it can still be used for criminals who evade responsibility.

It is worth noting that recently the Verkhovna Rada ratified the agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression by Russia against Ukraine, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, called on allies to support this initiative.