In line with the Statute of the Council of Europe, the Committee of Ministers on February 25 decided to suspend the Russian Federation from its rights of representation in the Committee of Ministers and in the Parliamentary Assembly with immediate effect as a result of the Russian Federation’s armed attack on Ukraine, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the CoE.

The adopted decision means that the Russian Federation remains a member of the Council of Europe and party to the relevant Council of Europe conventions, including the European Convention on Human Rights.

The judge elected to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of the Russian Federation also remains a member of the Court, and applications introduced against the Russian Federation will continue to be examined and decided by the Court.

Suspension is not a final measure but a temporary one, leaving channels of communication open.