Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe

The descent of the flag of Russia in front of the European Palace in Strasbourg

From March 16, Russia ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe. Such a decision at a morning extraordinary meeting was made by the Committee of Ministers of the CE, according to the organization’s website.

A Russian flag was lowered in front of the European Palace in Strasbourg.

This is the first case in history when the country is excluded from the Council of Europe. Prior to this, the state left CE only once: in 1969, during the reign of the Black Colonel regime, Greece left the organization, without waiting for it to be excluded. In 1974, after the fall of the military junta, Greece returned to Ce.

On Tuesday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the SE, after many hours of debate, unanimously recommended that the Committee of Ministers exclude Russia. The voting results were met with a common ovation.

As the heads of the CE - Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, the head of the Italian Foreign Ministry, Luigi Di Mayo, President Pase Tini Kox, General Secretary, Maria Paychinovich -Burich, "," their actions in Ukraine, deprive the Russian people of the most advanced human protection system, including the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights and our extensive system of conventions ", stated. At the same time, the authors of the application express solidarity with the Russian people, which, in their opinion, "" shares democratic values ​​and seeks to remain part of the European family, which it belongs. "

In CE "is still determined" to use all means to support the Ukrainian people in his struggle against the aggressor. “In these difficult times, it is important that Europe is strong and united with Ukraine, its authorities and the Ukrainian people,” emphasizes Di Mao, Cox and Paychinovich -Burich.

On Tuesday, the Russian side handed over Paychinovich-Burich a notification of Russia's withdrawal from CE. The Foreign Ministry said that the EU and NATO countries “consistently turn this organization into an instrument of anti -Russian policy”, made a “discriminatory decision” on the suspension of Russia's participation in the SE bodies, and Russia in such conditions cannot remain a member of the organization. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the EU and NATO countries of the fact that they “see in this organization only a means of ideological support for their military -political and economic expansion to the east, planting a“ order based on the rules ”, and in fact,“ games without rules ”. The institutions, including the ECHR,, according to the Foreign Ministry,“ began to be used on a systematic basis to provide pressure on Russia, intervention in its internal affairs. ”

The participation of Russia in the authorized bodies of the SE was suspended by the Committee of Ministers on February 25, the day after the attack on Ukraine.

Russia was a member of the Council of Europe 26 years. In 2014, after the annexation of Crimea, Pase deprived the Russian delegation of the right of vote . In 2016-2019, Russia boycotted the work of PACE and did not pay membership fees. In 2019, the powers of the Russian delegation were restored .