Russian President Vladimir Putin has introduced a draft law to the State Duma concerning Russia’s withdrawal from the Convention on Criminal Liability for Corruption. The government handed the relevant proposals to the president on 22 December.
The draft states: “To terminate the Criminal Law Convention against Corruption signed on behalf of the Russian Federation on 27 January 1999 in the city of Strasbourg.”
The explanatory note outlines that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has ended Russia’s full membership in the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO), which oversees the convention’s implementation. It notes that Russia has lost its voting rights and cannot participate in discussions on GRECO assessments. It adds that, given these conditions are unacceptable to Russia and to avoid discriminatory treatment within GRECO’s evaluation mechanisms, the plan is to terminate Russia’s participation in GRECO.
The document also states that ending the agreement would incur no additional cost to the federal budget. The draft was forwarded to the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin.
On 13 December, Interfax reported, citing an unnamed source, that the government supports repealing the convention. The source said the decision followed the Council of Europe Committee’s move to terminate Russia’s GRECO membership.
On 23 December, RBC reported that the end of the agreement was tied to actions by the Council of Europe, quoting the Russian Foreign Ministry. The ministry noted that Russia, a party to the agreement, has continually aligned its legislation with its provisions and contributed to its development.
withdrawal from the Council of Europe
Russia ceased participation in the Council of Europe (CE) in mid-March after 26 years of involvement. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the withdrawal decision, saying the majority of the organization’s committee of ministers had been misused by some European Union and NATO member states. This move marked a significant shift in Russia’s engagement with the CE.
On 25 February, the CE’s Committee of Ministers restricted Russia’s rights within the organization and in the Parliamentary Assembly. On 14 March, the Parliamentary Assembly notified Russia of suspension, and subsequently voted to remove the country from the Council of Europe.
Later, Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of the Federation Council, stated that Russia intends to repeal the CE Charter, the European Convention on Human Rights, and four other conventions, along with several documents it views as misaligned with Russia’s interests. On 1 July, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree terminating Russia’s participation in eight partial and extended agreements with the Council of Europe.
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Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that while the country maintains a steady fight against corruption, it recognizes that corruption cannot be eliminated completely worldwide. He described ongoing anti-corruption work as a long-term project, not a one-time effort, and said it would continue.
He added that the withdrawal from the international agreement would not undermine Russia’s legislative capacity to fight corruption and that internal measures remain robust. He cautioned, however, that exit from the agreement could complicate extradition of corruption suspects from other nations. He noted that Russia’s international cooperation with friendly states would persist despite the withdrawal.
Criminal liability will not be eliminated
Anatoly Vyborny, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, stated that the termination of the agreement will not reduce the anti-corruption push in Russia. He argued that criminal liability for graft would persist and that zero tolerance toward corrupt officials remains intact. He emphasized that anti-corruption methods and models used in Russia have shown effectiveness, with bribery offenses detected more frequently.
Vyborny highlighted that anti-corruption efforts have yielded results, including higher recovery of stolen funds. He noted that representatives of other states have acknowledged the effectiveness of Russia’s anti-corruption legislation. He pointed to a strategic framework and national anti-corruption plan as evidence of an organized approach, contrasting it with examples from other countries that he says are less advanced. He described the withdrawal as a countermeasure to GRECO-related pressures and insisted that Russia continues to exercise control while opposing perceived encroachments on its rights. He added that Russia remains committed to monitoring the implementation of obligations, even if some parties impose restrictions.