MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. Russia’s State Duma (the lower house of parliament) has passed a bill terminating the Council of Europe’s Statute in Russia and over 20 international agreements with the council.
President Vladimir Putin submitted the bill to the State Duma in January.
According to the document, Russia is withdrawing from the agreements and rejecting the Council of Europe’s Statute in light of the termination of the country’s membership in the organization.
A total of 21 documents are expected to be denounced, including European conventions on the suppression of terrorism, human rights protection, the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the European Social Charter.
State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Leonid Slutsky pointed out that the termination of the European Convention on Human Rights would not negatively affect the human rights situation in Russia. "During the 26 years of Russia’s Council of Europe membership, all the rules were one way or another included in national legislation so they are and will remain in effect. Besides, Russia’s Constitution provides wider guarantees in terms of human rights protection than the European Convention on Human Rights," the lawmaker told reporters.
The relevant committee pointed out in its final report that since the consent to make the Council of Europe’s international agreements mandatory for Russia had been given through federal laws, the decision to terminate them should also be approved via federal law. In addition, the adoption of the document will require amendments to several federal laws.
Russia’s withdrawal from Council of Europe
On March 15, 2022, the Russian government notified Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric of its withdrawal from the organization and its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights. On March 16, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided to terminate Russia’s membership in the organization. On the same day, the European Court of Human Rights announced the suspension of all complaints against Russia. However, the court will continue to consider the complaints that Russian nationals filed before September 16, 2022.
Russia joined the Council of Europe in 1996. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement clarifying the country’s withdrawal that unfriendly EU and NATO countries had long been "pursuing a course to destroy the Council of Europe and the common humanitarian and legal space."
State Duma Deputy Speaker and head of Russia’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Pyotr Tolstoy stated that the council had turned into "a puppet agency used for the promotion of frenzied Russophobia."