After pressure mounted for Russia to be expelled from the Council of Europe over its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s notification about the pulling out from the pan-European rights body was delivered on Tuesday.
The Russian foreign ministry essentially jumped before Russian Federation was pushed from the Strasbourg-based body Russia joined in 1996, handing out the notification of the departure to the organization’s Secretary-General Marija Pejcinovic Buric.
The statement on launching the procedure to exit the COE was also posted on the Russian foreign ministry’s Telegram account, adding Moscow has no regret about leaving.
The so-called “Ruxit”, which draws the curtain on Russia’s quarter-century membership of COE, is only the second time in the history that a member state has announced it has quit the body after Greece temporarily walked out in the late 1960s.
This means that Russia will no longer be a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights and also enables Moscow to reimpose the death penalty if the authorities decide.
It also means that Russian citizens will no longer be able to file applications to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
However, the Russian foreign ministry stressed that Russia will continue to implement already adopted ECHR resolutions if they do not contradict Russia’s Constitution.
Also on Tuesday, PACE held a meeting to discuss the possible exclusion of Russia from the COE in connection with Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine which, according to the organization, is in violation of the Charter and runs counter to the commitments undertaken by Russia.
One day after tens of thousands of Russian troops entered Ukraine on February 24, Russia was suspended from all its rights of representation.
However, the PACE decision is not legally binding, and the final word to start a procedure to expel Russia rests with the Committee of Ministers – the COE’s main decision-making body – scheduled to meet on March 17.
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