Russia quits Europe's leading human rights watchdog
India Today
Russia-Ukraine war news latest updates: Russia has quit Europe’s human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe. The organisation suspended Russia’s membership one day after it invaded Ukraine. Russians can no longer appeal to the European Court of Human Rights against their government.
Russia, on Tuesday, quit the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog, pre-empting an expected expulsion over its attack on neighbour Ukraine.
Russia is only the second country to leave the pan-European group tasked with upholding human rights and the rule of law since its formation after World War Two. The Council of Europe was founded in 1949. Russia joined in 1996.
Greece had done the same in 1969, also to avoid expulsion, after a group of army officers seized power in a military coup. It rejoined after restoring democracy five years later.
GET LIVE UPDATES OF RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR HERE
Russia's withdrawal from the institution that devised the European Convention on Human Rights and helped eastern European nations to democratise their political systems after the collapse of Communism carries symbolic weight.
But the decision, announced hours before a vote on its expulsion in the Council of Europe's assembly, also has concrete consequences.
The human rights convention will cease to apply to Russia and Russians will no longer be able to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights against their government.
