#council-of-europe

#council-of-europe

The political head of the body that oversees the European Convention on Human Rights has told the BBC that it is 'absolutely ready' to discuss reforms amid pressure from the UK and other countries over migration. Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, predicted that quitting international human rights law would leave the UK 'isolated' on the world stage.

Although Russia has been a member of the convention since 1997, civil rights activists have always complained that torture and degrading treatment are widespread in Russian police stations and detention centers. Formally, the convention allowed international monitors access to Russian prisons, but this effectively stopped following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The joint letter to the Council of Europe highlights the urgent need for a review of UK policies, asserting that current enactments infringe upon ECHR protections.