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Human Rights Protection in Europe and Russia: Addressing the Implications of Russian Expulsion Under the Statute of the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2025

Amit Upadhyay Open the ORCID record for Amit Upadhyay [Opens in a new window]  and
Abhinav Mehrotra Open the ORCID record for Abhinav Mehrotra [Opens in a new window]
Amit Upadhyay
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Jindal Global Law School, Senior Fellow, Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Peace Studies, O.P. Jindal Global University , India. Email: aupadhyay@jgu.edu.in.
Abhinav Mehrotra
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Jindal Global Law School, Assistant Director, Centre for the Study of United Nations, O.P. Jindal Global University , India. Email: amehrotra@jgu.edu.in.
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Abstract

The cessation of the Russian Federation’s membership in the Council of Europe (CoE) under Article 58 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and Article 8 of the Statute of the CoE is an important decision in the wake of Russian aggression against Ukraine involving serious human rights violations. Consequently, Russia’s disengagement from CoE mechanisms means Russians and other victims of human rights abuses seeking justice are no longer protected by the ECHR, as of September 16, 2022, thus affecting the human rights protection framework in Europe amidst the war. This implies that Russia no longer has a judge in the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) under Article 20 of the ECHR. Its citizens will no longer be able to appeal against their government to the ECtHR under the individual ECHR applications mechanism, raising serious concerns about Russians’ lack of access to the ECtHR and the non-implementation of ECtHR judgments, which tests the reach and resilience of Europe’s human rights framework in protecting peace and security in the region.

In this context, the authors argue that since the ECtHR no longer exercises its jurisdiction in Russia, it is necessary to analyze the Rome Statute’s role in this regard. A possible solution can be found in European Union (EU) nations undertaking national investigations through mutual partnerships against the individuals who have committed atrocities of international concern, such as crimes against humanity or war crimes, based on the principle of international jurisdiction, to reestablish international peace and security.

Keywords

EuropeRussiaECHRECtHRWar CrimesPeaceSecurity

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Type
Article
Information
International Journal of Legal Information , Volume 53 , Issue 3 , Winter 2025 , pp. 187 - 198
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by International Association of Law Libraries

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