Russia withdraws from the Convention against Torture: what this means for prisoners

The Russian government has signed a decree on the country's withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention against Torture. This step occurred after the country's expulsion from the Council of Europe in March 2022, when participation in the convention remained formal. Now Russia continues to refuse international cooperation in the field of human rights.

Moreover, this step is not isolated: earlier, Russia withdrew from the European Convention on Human Rights, and since 2023, has revoked the Statute of the Council of Europe and the European Social Charter. Thus, for several years, the country has been consistently refusing to fulfill international obligations in the field of human rights.

'This is not the first similar step: Russia has already denounced the European Convention on Human Rights, and since 2023, the Statute of the Council of Europe, the European Social Charter, and a number of other agreements have ceased to operate on its territory. In 2024, the country also withdrew from the convention on the protection of national minorities,' the intelligence agency emphasized.

Russia remains isolated from the international community in the field of human rights protection, continuing to ignore international norms and standards.