On September 17, the State Duma denounced the convention on the prevention of torture and two protocols to it. As stated in the explanatory note to the decision, this is due to the fact that «the Council of Europe is blocking the election of a new member from the Russian Federation to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture».
The European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was signed in 1987 by the Council of Europe. It not only prohibits torture but also creates a mechanism for its prevention.
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) was established for monitoring. Its experts can visit prisons, colonies, psychiatric hospitals, and any other places where people are deprived of their liberty without prior notice. They document the conditions of detention, communicate with inmates and staff, and write reports based on their findings. Countries that signed the convention are obliged to cooperate and correct identified violations.
Russia signed the document in 1996 upon joining the Council of Europe. Since then, the CPT committee has regularly visited Russian colonies and pre-trial detention centers, publishing reports on torture and harsh detention conditions.
After the withdrawal, Russia will no longer be obliged to allow international inspectors into its prisons. Complaints to the CPT committee from Russian inmates will no longer be considered. In effect, independent external oversight of detention conditions disappears. Everything will remain solely at the discretion of the Federal Penitentiary Service and Russian courts.