Russia Leaves Europe’s Anti-Torture Convention, Ending Independent Monitoring
Russia’s withdrawal from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture took effect Nov. 1. The Council of Europe’s CPT says independent monitoring of Russian detention sites has ended.
Choose Clash Report as a preferred source and see our reporting first in Top Stories.
Russia’s withdrawal from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture took effect on Nov. 1, 2026. The Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee, the CPT, says this ends independent monitoring of detention sites inside Russia. The CPT announced the change on Nov. 1.
The CPT has not visited Russia since 2021. It says it has received numerous accounts of torture and ill-treatment by Russian officials since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Moscow rejects such claims and cites what it calls discriminatory treatment by the Council of Europe.
What Changed on Nov. 1
Russia notified the Council of Europe of its decision on Oct. 30, 2025. Under Article 22 of the convention, the withdrawal takes effect one year later, the CPT says.
CPT President Alan Mitchell says the withdrawal “marks the end of the CPT’s monitoring mandate in the country.” He adds that it also ends “any independent monitoring of places of deprivation of liberty inside the Russian Federation.”
The CPT will keep working in the 46 member states of the Council of Europe. Mitchell says independent monitoring remains “a fundamental safeguard against torture and ill-treatment.”
What the CPT Did in Russia
Russia has been a party to the convention since 1998. The CPT carried out 30 visits between 1998 and 2021 and saw more than 450 places of detention, it says.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Party to the convention | Since 1998 |
| CPT visits to Russia, 1998–2021 | 30 |
| Places of detention visited | More than 450 |
| Visit reports Russia allowed to be published | 4 |
| Unpublished visits to Chechnya and the North Caucasus, 2000–2017 | 10 |
| Public statements on Russia over lack of cooperation | 5 |
Russia was the only state with a stated policy of not authorizing publication of CPT reports. Only four were released. The CPT adds that Russia may authorize publication of the rest at any time.
The CPT issued five public statements on Russia because of poor cooperation, according to an earlier CPT notice. It says the withdrawal means Russia no longer accepts independent external oversight of places of detention.
How Russia Got Here
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| March 16, 2022 | Russia ceases to be a Council of Europe member after its invasion of Ukraine |
| Sept. 16, 2022 | Russia ceases to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights |
| December 2023 | Russia says it has had no member on the CPT since this date |
| Sept. 17, 2025 | State Duma votes unanimously to denounce the anti-torture convention |
| Sept. 29, 2025 | Putin signs Federal Law No. 358-FZ |
| Oct. 30, 2025 | Russia notifies the Council of Europe |
| Nov. 1, 2026 | Withdrawal takes effect |
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers decided that Russia ceased to be a member on March 16, 2022. The anti-torture convention, which is open to non-members, stayed in force for Russia, the resolution shows.
Russia left the European Convention on Human Rights on Sept. 16, 2022. The European Court of Human Rights still hears cases about violations up to that date, the Council of Europe says.
Moscow’s Stated Reasons
The Kremlin says the Council of Europe blocked the election of a new Russian CPT member. It says Russia has not been represented since December 2023.
It calls this “discriminatory” and says it undermines the convention’s monitoring mechanism. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the Council of Europe “is doing everything to destroy Russia,” the Duma reported.
The law’s explanatory text says the denunciation does not lower safeguards against torture in Russia. It cites Russia’s continued participation in other treaties, the published text shows. The Duma approved the law on Sept. 17, and the Federation Council on Sept. 24.
Allegations Since 2022
The CPT says it has received numerous accounts of alleged torture and ill-treatment in detention by Russian officials. They concern occupied Ukraine and Russia itself, it says. Russia’s non-cooperation meant no visit was possible.
The CPT contrasts this with Ukraine, which lets it visit any place of detention at any time. Ukraine also publishes CPT reports automatically.
The UN human rights office says torture by Russian authorities is “widespread and systematic,” it told UN member states. Victims include Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees. More than 95 percent of Ukrainian POWs it interviewed reported torture or ill-treatment.
The office says it documented 129 executions of Ukrainian POWs and 48 deaths in custody. It adds that Russia has not given it access to detention sites, Clash Report reported.
Russia rejects the allegations as a “disinformation campaign.” Its deputy UN envoy, Maria Zabolotskaya, claimed Russian prisoners in Ukraine face torture.
The UN office says it also documents abuse of Russian POWs in Ukrainian custody. It calls the scale “fundamentally different,” and its Ukraine report says over half of those interviewed reported abuse.
What Happens Next
The CPT no longer has a mandate to visit Russian places of detention. Its earlier findings remain mostly unpublished, and only Moscow can release them.
Independent checks inside Russia will now depend on other bodies and on Russia’s own consent. The UN human rights office also says it has had no access to Russian detention sites.
Choose Clash Report as a preferred source and see our reporting first in Top Stories.