Russia Moves to Withdraw From Anti-Torture Convention, Ukraine’s MFA Responds

Russia has announced plans to withdraw from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, a step that Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) described as an acknowledgment of systematic abuses.

The European Convention for the Prevention of Torture was adopted in 1987 and established a monitoring system to safeguard the rights of individuals deprived of liberty. It functions alongside the United Nations Convention against Torture, adopted in 1984, which prohibits torture under any circumstances and obliges states to prosecute perpetrators.

According to the MFA’s statement on August 27, Moscow’s decision to initiate the denunciation of the treaty demonstrates its attempt to avoid accountability for violations of human rights. Ukrainian officials underlined that the move confirms Russia’s refusal to cooperate with international monitoring mechanisms.

The ministry stressed that unlike other agreements, the European Convention includes preventive measures, such as both scheduled and unannounced inspections of detention facilities by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.

Russia, however, has repeatedly obstructed this process, refusing to grant access to experts or engage meaningfully in the convention’s framework.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also commented on the decision, calling it evidence that Russia has become a state where human life and dignity are disregarded.

He linked the step to what Ukraine views as a continuation of Russia’s long-standing practices of repression, including torture, executions, and inhumane treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Ukraine reiterated its position that Russia should be excluded from all cooperation mechanisms within the Council of Europe. Since February 2022, Kyiv has consistently pushed for Moscow’s removal from European institutions, citing the state’s transformation into a repressive regime.

The MFA emphasized that responsibility for crimes such as torture must be unavoidable and urged the international community to act without delay in applying mechanisms of accountability.

Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree allocating $4.5 billion for prison expansion—140 times more than the $31 million earmarked for student loans. The plan includes building 11 new pre-trial detention centers, additional controlled-access units, and facilities in occupied Crimea, despite official data showing a decline in inmate numbers.

Help Ukrainian Units Hold the Drone Line

Download APP