Russia withdraws from the Convention against Torture: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls it an acknowledgment of crimes.

According to FREEДOM:

Comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reacted to the intentions of the Russian Federation to withdraw from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture. The statement was published on August 27 on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry emphasized that this step by Russia indicates its acknowledgment of crimes, including the systematic practice of torture and attempts to avoid accountability for gross human rights violations.

'Modern Russia is a territory of lawlessness and humiliation of human dignity. The decision to withdraw from the Convention on the Prevention of Torture only reinforces this reality and ultimately places Russia among countries for which the value of human life and dignity is zero,' the ministry noted.

It was also noted that the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is an international treaty adopted in 1987. It allows international experts to check how states treat individuals held in custody. However, Russia has effectively destroyed the Convention's mechanism by not participating in the committee's work and not allowing experts onto its territory for verification of the situation with torture.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called for international pressure on Russia to stop the imitation of 'cooperation' with mechanisms for preventing torture.

'A country that uses torture as an integral part of its policy cannot be a party to a Convention that should unite legal states. The responsibility of an aggressor state for numerous crimes, including torture, must be unavoidable. Ukraine insists on the prompt use of international mechanisms for accountability and urges the international community to act actively and without delay,' the Ministry stressed.

Furthermore, a report had previously been presented at the OSCE confirming that Russia continues the practice of illegal detentions of Ukrainian civilians in temporarily occupied territories and tortures of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

These events underscore a serious threat to human rights amid Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine. It is important for the international community to respond to such actions and support Ukraine's efforts in the fight for justice and the protection of human rights.