The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the organizationʼs main body, voted to exclude Russia from its membership. The day before, such a decision was supported by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
This was reported by the press service of the Council of Europe.
Thus, Russia was finally expelled from the Council of Europe after 26 years of membership.
In 2014, after the annexation of Crimea, the Council of Europe temporarily suspended Russiaʼs membership, but did not exclude it. In 2019, the Council of Europe returned Russia without any preconditions.
Russiaʼs exclusion from the Council of Europe means that it may now stop abiding the Convention on Human Rights and not to be held accountable for violating it. Russians wonʼt also be able to apply to the European Court of Human Rights.