MOSCOW, September 17. /TASS/. Russia will continue participating in major international treaties setting standards for the prohibition of torture and monitoring mechanisms for their compliance, despite denouncing the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, State Secretary and Deputy Justice Minister Elena Ardabyeva said.

"Russia will continue its participation in key international treaties that define both standards for the prohibition of torture and mechanisms for monitoring their compliance," said the deputy justice minister.

On Wednesday, the State Duma, at a plenary session, denounced the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, along with two of its protocols. The bill was introduced to the lower house of parliament by Russian President Vladimir Putin in early September 2025.

 

As State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin noted earlier, Russia’s work in the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture "has been blocked by the Council of Europe itself, which has not allowed the election of a new Russian member to the committee since December 2023." The explanatory note to the bill states that these "discriminatory circumstances" violate Russia’s representative rights in the European Committee and undermine the mutual monitoring mechanism for compliance with international obligations in the field of torture prevention, "which is why it is proposed to denounce the said convention and its protocols.".