Russia’s Council of Europe voting rights restored

Summary:

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted on 24 June to allow Russian representatives to return to the body after its voting rights were revoked five years ago over the annexation of Crimea.

Further information:

The vote came ahead of an election to choose the organisation's next secretary-general. Russia claimed to quit the Council of Europe's assembly if it was banned from voting in the election of a new secretary-general and also halted its membership payments since June 2017.

As a consequence of the voting results the delegations of Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine walked out of the assembly in protest and suspended their participation for the assembly session.

The Council of Europe, which is not connected to the European Union, brings together 47 European States. Exiting the Council of Europe would have prevented Russian citizens from being able to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

Commentary and Analysis

EuObserver, 24/06/2019: Council of Europe vs Russia: stay or go? https://euobserver.com/opinion/145235

Deutsche Welle, 26/06/219: Russia in the Council of Europe: What does it mean for human rights? https://p.dw.com/p/3L95K

Euro|Topics, 26/06/2019: Russia's Council of Europe voting rights restored https://www.eurotopics.net/en/222270/russia-s-council-of-europe-voting-rights-restored

Bloomberg, 26/06/2019: Europe Should Lift Russia Sanctions, But for the Right Reasons https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-06-26/was-council-of-europe-bribed-to-restore-russia-s-voting-rights

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News

Politico, 17/05/2019: Council of Europe restores Russia’s voting rights https://www.politico.eu/article/council-of-europe-restores-russias-voting-rights/

Euronews, 25/06/2019: Council of Europe backs restoring Russian voting rights after stripping them over Crimea annexation https://www.euronews.com/2019/06/25/council-of-europe-backs-restoring-russian-voting-rights-after-stripping-them-over-crimea-a

Politico, 25/06/2019: Council of Europe backs Russia’s return https://www.politico.eu/article/council-of-europe-backs-russias-return/

BBC News, 25/06/2019: Ukraine fury as Russia gets back Council of Europe voting rights https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48755606

Deutsche Welle, 25/06/2019: Council of Europe restores Russia's voting rights https://p.dw.com/p/3L1ih

EurActiv, 26/06/2019: Ukraine slams Russia’s reintegration into the Council of Europe https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/ukraine-slams-russias-reintegration-into-the-council-of-europe/

EurActiv, 27/06/2019: Council of Europe elects new chief amid row over Russia https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/council-of-europe-elects-new-chief-amid-row-over-russia/

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Official

Council of Europe, 26/06/2019: PACE ratifies Russian delegation’s credentials https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/pace-ratifies-russian-delegation-s-credentials

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