Russia was excluded from the Council of Europe with immediate effect
16.03.2022 / 16:40 | Aktualizováno: 30.05.2023 / 13:28
In response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Committee of Ministers decided on 16 March to exclude the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe with immediate effect. The Czech diplomacy was closely involved in this historical step that was necessary to uphold the credibility of this human rights organization.
The Russian Federation has, by its aggression against Ukraine, seriously violated Art. 3 of the Statute of the Council of Europe containing an obligation to comply with the rule of law. Already on 25 February 2022, the Russian Federation was suspended by the Committee of Ministers, on the basis of Art. 8 of the Statute, from its rights of representation in this organization. On 14-15 March 2022, an extraordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly was convened in order to consult on the issue of further membership of the Russian Federation in the Council of Europe, where the delegation of the Parliament of the Czech Republic also actively participated. The outcome from this session was an unequivocal opinion calling for an expulsion of the Russion Federation by the Committee of Ministers from the Council of Europe. The Committee of Ministers took up this call and immediately on 16 March 2022, terminated its membership.