ECHR suspends Russian judge's activity

MOSCOW. March 17 (Interfax) - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has decided to suspend Russian Judge Mikhail Lobov's activity in view of Russia's withdrawal from the Council of Europe.

"Judge Lobov's judicial activity is currently suspended pending the Court's consideration of the legal consequences of Resolution CM/Res (2022)2) on the work of the Court," the ECHR said on its website.

Lobov has served as an ECHR judge representing Russia since January 2, 2022.

The ECHR said on Wednesday that it suspended the examination of all applications against the Russian Federation "pending its consideration of the legal consequences of this Resolution for the work of the Court."

Russian State Duma Deputy Chairman and head of the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Pyotr Tolstoy said on March 15 that Russia had decided to withdraw from the Council of Europe, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's relevant letter had been forwarded to the Council of Europe secretary general. PACE members voted unanimously for ending Russia's membership in the Council of Europe.

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers ruled that Russia ceased to be a member of the organization starting March 16, 2022.

Pavel Chikov, head of the international human rights project Agora, has said that, after Russia's withdrawal from the Council of Europe and from the ECHR's jurisdiction, Russians would be able to complain about violations of their rights by the government to the relevant United Nations committees, which, however, are not in a position to award monetary compensation.