Russia leaves European anti-torture treaty
European inspectors lose their monitoring mandate in Russian detention centres.
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Russia officially withdrew on Sunday from the European treaty against torture and inhuman treatment. The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture says this brings its monitoring mandate in Russia to an end.
The withdrawal took effect on 1 November, exactly one year after the Russian authorities informed the Council of Europe of their decision. This was reported by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the CPT, in a statement. Russia had been a party to the treaty since 1998.
The treaty gave the CPT access to places where people are deprived of their liberty, such as prisons and police cells. According to the Council of Europe, the committee made 30 visits to Russia between 1998 and 2021, visiting more than 450 detention facilities in the process.
According to the CPT, Russia was the only participating country with an explicit policy of blocking the publication of reports on CPT visits and Russian responses to them. Only four visit reports were published with permission. The remaining reports may still be made public by Russia, the committee says, but there is no obligation to do so.
Since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the CPT says it has received numerous reports of alleged torture and ill-treatment by Russian officials. The reports concerned both detention facilities in Russia and areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia. The CPT stresses that it could not independently investigate the recent situation because the Russian authorities did not co-operate.
The direct legal consequences are limited to this specific European monitoring mechanism. The Council of Europe says Russia is no longer a member of the organisation, but until now remained a party to the anti-torture treaty. The withdrawal mainly means that independent European inspections of Russian detention facilities can no longer be carried out under this treaty. The CPT warns that independent oversight is precisely an important safeguard against ill-treatment.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Russia withdrew from the European anti-torture treaty on 1 November.
- As a result, the CPT cannot continue its monitoring mandate in Russia.
- The CPT says Russia previously offered limited co-operation and transparency.
Left
Arguments International oversight of detention is a fundamental protection for prisoners and political opponents. From this perspective, Russia’s departure should be seen as a deterioration in human rights and as a reason to strengthen other forms of oversight.
Values universal human rights, international solidarity and protection of vulnerable groups.
Consequences Less independent access makes abuses harder to expose and may further weaken the position of prisoners.
Centre
Arguments The treaty was already of limited effectiveness because Russia did not publish reports and blocked visits. Nevertheless, a formal European oversight channel was valuable; diplomatic and legal contacts should therefore remain open wherever possible.
Values institutional oversight, the rule of law and practical diplomacy.
Consequences The withdrawal reduces the information available, but does not rule out all international pressure or other human rights mechanisms.
Right
Arguments From a right-wing perspective that places national sovereignty at the centre, Russia’s withdrawal can be understood as a rejection of European interference. From this viewpoint, Europe must take account of Moscow’s limited willingness to allow external inspections.
Values national autonomy, state authority and restraint regarding international interference.
Consequences A confrontation over oversight could further harden diplomatic relations; at the same time, the absence of oversight could, in this view, increase reputational and security risks for Russia.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The legal status, dates and figures come from publications by the Council of Europe. The text clearly distinguishes between reported ill-treatment and facts investigated by the CPT itself.
- confirmed Russia’s withdrawal from the European anti-torture treaty took effect on 1 November 2026. — Directly confirmed by the CPT. source
- confirmed Russia had been a party to the treaty since 1998. — Confirmed by the CPT. source
- confirmed The CPT made 30 visits to Russia between 1998 and 2021 and visited more than 450 detention facilities. — Confirmed by the CPT statement. source
- confirmed Since 2022, the CPT has received reports of alleged torture and ill-treatment, but could not visit Russia independently because of a lack of co-operation. — Confirmed by the CPT; the text does not present the reports as proven facts. source
Editor's note
The legal date and consequences were directly confirmed by the Council of Europe. Reports of torture are presented as reports received by the CPT, not as independently established facts.Sources
- Russia officially withdraws from the Council of Europe’s Anti-Torture Convention — Raad van Europa, CPT
- 35th General Report of the CPT — Raad van Europa