Putin signs law denouncing European convention on torture prevention

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law officially denouncing the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The move was confirmed by the publication of the document on the official Russian legal information portal, Caliber.Az reports.

The legislation terminates Russia’s commitments under the European Convention signed on November 26, 1987, as well as its Protocols No. 1 and No. 2 from November 4, 1993. Russia had originally signed the treaty in Strasbourg on February 28, 1996.

The bill to denounce the convention was submitted to the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, by President Putin on September 8. The convention had been one of the few remaining international treaties linked to the Council of Europe that Russia had not withdrawn from.

The State Duma adopted the draft law on September 17.

By Sabina Mammadli