MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. The lower house of Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, has approved a federal constitutional law rescinding the requirement to officially inform the secretary general of the Council of Europe concerning the imposition or revocation of martial law and states of emergency in Russia.

Under current legislation, if martial law is declared in the Russian Federation on a nationwide basis or in specific regions, the president is required to duly notify the secretaries general of the United Nations and the Council of Europe about Russia's derogation of its obligations under international treaties with respect to restrictions on civil rights and freedoms. In the event of a state of emergency, such notification is the responsibility of the Russian foreign minister. The UN and the Council of Europe must also be duly informed of the revocation of martial law or a state of emergency.

The law just passed by the State Duma amends the current laws "On Martial Law" and "On the State of Emergency" to remove the relevant clauses stipulating the requirement to notify the secretary general of the Council of Europe, while retaining only the provision requiring that the UN secretary general be notified. Additionally, the law "On the State of Emergency" has been amended to remove a provision stipulating that the international obligations of the Russian Foreign Ministry arise from the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, given that the convention and its ratified protocols ceased to have legal force in Russia effective March 16, 2022.