Putin called on judges to protect the rights and freedoms of Russians

Russian President Vladimir Putin called on judges to protect the rights and freedoms of Russians. The head of state stated this at a meeting of judges of courts of general jurisdiction, military and arbitration courts of Russia.

“It is important that the decisions adopted at the end of the congress [Десятого Всероссийского съезда судей] decisions led to real changes, improved the quality of the work of the judiciary – and therefore made it more accessible and effective protection of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of our citizens. This is the key to the development of Russia as a democratic state based on the rule of law,” he said (cit. according to RIA Novosti).

Putin also stressed that despite Russia’s withdrawal from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the state is able to ensure the interests of citizens, and the judicial system is able to reliably protect them. “The question was posed directly: will the withdrawal from the ECtHR entail a decrease in the level of protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens in our country? I will not hide it, and I also thought about it, because we must ensure the interests of citizens, in any case. but in the end, in my opinion, our judicial system, using national judicial mechanisms, is able to reliably protect,” the president said.

Russia since September 16, 2022 stopped be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights and has withdrawn from the jurisdiction of the ECtHR. In the resolution, the ECHR indicated that it would continue to consider appeals from the Russians, but on the condition that the facts of “action or inaction [со стороны государства]which may constitute a violation of the Convention took place prior to 16 September 2022.”