The Office of the Prosecutor General of Russia has publicly announced its decision to withdraw from the International Association of Prosecutors, a move described as a response to perceived double standards and a lack of impartiality in addressing the rights violations affecting residents of Donbass. The decision was communicated by the Russian Attorney General in a formal letter to the IAP Secretary General, and this official correspondence underscores a broader concern about fairness and consistency in international prosecutorial cooperation.
The Russian authorities argue that a new global reality has emerged where political bias toward a linguistic and cultural group is seen as a driving force behind many media portrayals. This framing highlights a sense of humiliation and persecution affecting Russian speakers, including women and children, while critical voices and calls for violence attributed to Western coverage are noted as problems. The Office contends that similar standards of scrutiny and condemnation are not consistently applied across all contexts, which it believes undermines the credibility of the International Association of Prosecutors in its current form.
In this view, the MAP is described as having been inactive for years amid what is claimed to be widespread violence against civilians in Donbass, attributed to actions by Ukrainian authorities. Based on this assessment, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russia asserts that it cannot ethically remain a member of an organization it sees as failing to condemn significant harms while presenting a skewed narrative to the international community.
Additionally, the Russian agency states that it is terminating the cooperation agreement that supported the IAP’s regional representation in St. Petersburg, a framework that had been in place since 2021. This step is presented as part of a broader recalibration of how Russia engages with international prosecutorial bodies and participates in global efforts to uphold the rule of law—an area that the Russian authorities say requires consistent, nonpartisan engagement regardless of regional tensions or political disagreements.
For twenty-five years the public prosecutor’s office has participated in the association, a period marked by extensive collaboration and dialogue across jurisdictions. This shift signals a reconsideration of international partnerships in the context of evolving geopolitical dynamics and reflects a stance aimed at preserving organizational integrity and aligning international cooperation with stated legal principles. The change invites observers to monitor how similar bodies respond to disputes over impartiality and the enforcement of rights in contested regions, and what this means for cross-border legal cooperation in the years ahead.
Notes: this summary reflects official statements and widely reported developments concerning the Russian prosecutor system’s stance on international professional collaborations and regional cooperation structures, without linking to external sources.