Russia quits anti-torture convention – Center for Countering Disinformation explains implications

The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) stated that Russia has long failed to comply with its obligations under the Convention Against Torture, systematically using torture against Ukrainian prisoners of war.

"From now on, Russia has removed even the formal ban on inhumane treatment of detainees," the CCD said in a statement.

The agency also noted that since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has been dismantling the remnants of democratic institutions, tightening punishments for any dissent, and withdrawing from international human rights commitments.

Russia's withdrawal from Convention

On September 29, Vladimir Putin signed a law denouncing the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The Russian parliament had earlier approved the move, ending participation in the agreement that Moscow had ratified in 1998. As a result, international inspectors will no longer have access to Russian prisons, and complaints from Russian inmates will no longer be reviewed by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT).

What Convention stipulates

The European Convention for the Prevention of Torture was adopted by the Council of Europe in 1987. It obliges participating countries to:

• Prohibit torture and inhumane treatment in places of detention;

• Allow independent international monitoring of compliance with these standards;

• Grant CPT inspectors access to prisons, colonies, and other detention facilities.

The Convention operates alongside the European Convention on Human Rights and is considered one of Europe’s key instruments for protecting human rights.