“With its unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine, a fellow member State of the Council of Europe, Russia violated the fundamental principles of the Council of Europe Statute, the UN Charter and international law,” EU High Representative Josep Borrell said today, commenting on Russia’s departure from the Council of Europe.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 16 March decided to expel the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe. The decision came a day after Russia informed the Council of Europe that it was withdrawing. The Council had suspended Russia on February 25, the day after it launched its invasion of Ukraine.
“We regret that the Russian Federation has failed to heed our calls to cease its military operations in Ukraine immediately and unconditionally,” said Borrell.
He also recalled that as a result of Russia’s conduct, Russian citizens would no longer enjoy the protection afforded by the European Convention on Human Rights and would be unable to bring cases of human rights violations before the European Court of Human Rights.
Read also
“This is highly concerning and yet another restriction of Russian citizens’ rights,” said Borrell. “The European Union expresses its support for human rights defenders, democratic forces, free media and independent civil society in Russia. We urge the Russian Federation to rapidly return to compliance with human rights, international law and international humanitarian law.”