Russia formally quits Council of Europe rights watchdog

Russia on Tuesday formally quit the Council of Europe, a human rights watchdog based in Strasbourg, pre-empting possible expulsion over its attack on its neighbor Ukraine, e-huquq.az reports quoting Reuters.

Pyotr Tolstoy, head of the Russian delegation at the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly, handed a letter from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the Council’s secretary general announcing Moscow’s decision, the Tass news agency reported.