CPT Chief: Russia Exit Ends Independent Oversight of Detention Sites

The Russian Federation has officially left the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture.

The Council of Europe confirmed that the denunciation took effect on November 1, 2026.

Russia notified the Council of its decision to withdraw on October 30, 2025. The agreement required a one-year notice period before the exit became final.

Alan Mitchell, President of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, stated that this move ends the committee's monitoring mandate in the country. He added that it marks the conclusion of any independent oversight of places where people are deprived of their liberty within Russia.

Russia joined the convention in 1998. From 1998 through 2021, the committee conducted 30 visits to the nation. During those inspections, officials examined more than 450 detention facilities.

Russia was the only member state that refused to allow the publication of visit reports and official responses. As a result, the Council of Europe released only four reports regarding conditions in Russian detention centers.

Unpublished findings cover periodic and ad hoc visits, including 10 inspections of Chechnya and the North Caucasus between 2000 and 2017.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the committee has received multiple reports alleging torture and ill-treatment by Russian officials. These allegations include incidents in occupied Ukrainian territories and on Russian soil.

The committee was unable to conduct a new visit to assess the situation due to a lack of cooperation from Russian authorities.

The Council of Europe noted that Ukrainian authorities continue to permit the committee to access any detention facility on their territory at any time.

The State Duma voted on September 17, 2025, to adopt a draft law on the convention's denunciation. The bill was submitted by Vladimir Putin.

The 1987 convention requires member states to prevent torture within their jurisdiction and bans extraditing individuals to countries where they may face such treatment. In October, the United Kingdom introduced sanctions against Russia targeting LNG shadow fleet vessels, disinformation networks, and officials accused of civilian torture and child indoctrination.