Human rights treaties embed rights in national legal systems, empowering individuals to claim their rights domestically and internationally. Yet it is exceptionally easy for states to withdraw from most of these treaties, as well as from multilateral agreements that establish standards of accountability in closely analogous areas, such as international criminal law.  This includes treaties that codify jus…

In the early hours of 20 March 2021 the Turkish Official Gazette announced—in a one sentence statement that offered no explanation—that the President Erdoğan had decided to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe treaty on preventing and combating violence against women. Two days later, the Communication Directorate of the President offered this justification: “The…

Less than a month after its invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Federation has ceased to be a member of the Council of Europe. On 16 March 2022, the Committee of Ministers decided to expel Russia from the regional organization with immediate effect, although without resolving the many legal consequences of this decision. Perhaps the most important…