The Council of Europe, Europe’s key human rights body, has suspended Russia’s representation in the organisation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The suspension on February 25 took effect immediately and affects Russia’s rights of representation in the organisation’s top decision-making body, the Committee of Ministers, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
But it does not remove Russia’s actual membership in the Council of Europe nor its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
And it does not affect the right of almost 150 million Russians to seek justice for human rights abuses through rulings by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
CoE Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric described the attack on Ukraine as a “flagrant violation” of the statute of the Council of Europe.
AEJ media freedom representative William Horsley said this is the first time a Council of Europe member state has been suspended since 1967 when Greece was suspended following the “colonels’ coup” in Athens. Greece then promptly announced its withdrawal from the organisation, which continued until democratic government was restored in the country in 1974.
