On September 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed [3] the law on Russia’s formal withdrawal from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. This move has been widely seen as a retreat from Russia’s international commitments, particularly in the field of human rights protection.

The Convention, which was created and is overseen by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), allows independent international experts to conduct regular, unannounced inspections of the detention facilities. The Russian withdrawal removes this oversight, ending the ability of international experts to carry out independent monitoring visits to its detention centers.

Following the withdrawal, the CPT called the decision a “complete loss of benchmarks for developing the penitentiary system in line with international norms.” The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation also described this move as a “state-sanctioned tool for systemic oppression” in Russia.

While Russia remains a party to the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT), the effectiveness of its mechanisms has been questioned, as the CAT only requires periodic state reports and provides no inspection authority unless a state ratifies the 2002 Optional Protocol—which was not signed by Russia.