The exclusion of Russia from Council of Europe: Initial reflections on the effects

Abstract

The situation related to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine meant that Russia was excluded from the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European human rights protection system in March 2022. The aim of the article is to define legal and political consequences of the exclusion of Russia from CoE and the European system of human rights. The scientific goal was achieved through the analysis of normative acts (hard law, soft law) and statistical data, and literature review. The desk research method was used. The article attempts to answer the following research questions: 1. What are the real and potential consequences of Russia’s exclusion from CoE for this country and for other member states?, 2. What effect this will have on the citizens of Russia and persons under its jurisdiction? Membership in CoE is associated with obligatory participation in the European system of human rights protection built on the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. The main consequences of Russia’s exclusion from CoE are: 1. exclusion from the family of European countries, 2. termination of the Convention and other agreements adopted within the organization, 3. no possibility of submitting individual and interstate complaints against Russia.