Russia Officially Withdraws From Europe’s Anti-Torture Convention
Russia ratified the anti-torture treaty in 1998, two years after joining the Council of Europe. It announced its decision to withdraw in October 2025.
On November 1, Russia officially withdrew from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, ending independent international monitoring of detention facilities within its borders. The Council of Europe, which oversaw the convention, reported that inspectors had visited over 450 detention facilities across Russia during its 23-year membership.
However, Russia only permitted the publication of four visit reports over that period, all of which related to visits to Chechnya and other North Caucasus regions between 2000 and 2017.
The decision to withdraw came after Russia's expulsion from the Council of Europe in 2022, following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Council of Europe noted that it had received numerous accounts of alleged torture and ill-treatment in Russian detention centers and penal colonies, but was unable to conduct an on-site visit due to Russian non-cooperation.
Rights groups have warned that Russia's withdrawal removes the last international safeguard for inmates in its penal system. The convention had reportedly helped ease overcrowding, improve conditions in penal colonies, and secure better protection for some inmates. Despite remaining a party to the UN Convention Against Torture, Russia's exit from this particular treaty raises concerns about the state of human rights within its borders.
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