After 26 years of membership, Russia has been expelled from the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights body.

The expulsion begins with immediate effect, according to the rights body.

The Committee of Ministers decided in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after taking steps to exclude it.

On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.

Russia joined the Council of Europe on February 28, 1996.

Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the secretary-general of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The body said it would continue to stand by Ukraine to fight against the aggressor.

The Council of Europe monitors the observance of human rights in its 46 member states and is not part of the European Union.

The body reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago by suspending Russia’s membership. The decision was considered historic. (NAN)

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