Russia withdrew from the Convention against Torture: what will happen to prison inspections

Russia officially withdrew from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The decision took effect on 1, 2026—amid reports of torture of Ukrainians in Russian places of detention and on the occupied territories.

The Council of Europe announced the completion of Russia’s participation in the treaty. A practical consequence is the termination of the monitoring mandate of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Russia. This mechanism provides for visits to places of detention to assess the treatment of people and prevent Cruelty.

Moscow officially notified the denunciation on 30, 2025—October. The withdrawal took effect after the period foreseen by the treaty. From now on the committee no longer has conventional powers to conduct such inspections in the Russian Federation.

Transparency problems emerged long before this decision. According to the Council of Europe, Russian authorities allowed publication of only four reports based on the committee’s visits. A substantial part of the findings on the conditions of detention remained closed to the public.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the committee received numerous reports of probable tortures and ill-treatment by Russian officials. They concerned both Russia itself and the occupied Ukrainian territories. Due to Moscow’s refusal to cooperate, experts could not travel to verify these reports on the ground.

At the same time, withdrawal from the European treaty does not repeal the torture ban and does not absolve Russian officials of responsibility. President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mykyta Poturayev, emphasized that this prohibition is absolute and admits no excuses even during war.

Thus the main change concerns international oversight: a specific mechanism of independent visits is ending. This does not mean that torture becomes legal or that evidence of such crimes can no longer be collected and used to bring perpetrators to account.

As a reminder, Stop Kor reported that the Security Service of Ukraine announced suspicion against a Russian jailer for torturing prisoners at SIZO Vyazma. According to the investigation, the suspect subjected Ukrainian prisoners of war to physical violence and an electric shock device.

The editorial office also reported on documenting tortures in Russian penal colony No. 10 in Mordovia. Ukrainian law enforcement identified an inspector suspected of physical and psychological violence against prisoners of war.