GETTY Thorbjorn Jagland warns Russia leaving the council will be a step back for Europe

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Council of Europe secretary-general Thorbjorn Jagland and former Norwegian Prime Minister has been touring European capitals to warn Moscow could crash out of the 47-member body unless its demands are met. Russia is demanding voting rights be restored in the parliamentary assembly of the council, which oversees the 1949 human rights convention and the European Court of Human Rights. Russia was stripped of them after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. In the summer, Russia suspended its annual £30 million payment into the council’s £402 million budget.

Mr Jagland told the FT in an interview that it will be a "step-back" for Europe. He said: “It would really be very, very bad if Russia was to leave . . . because the convention and court have been so important for Russian citizens. “It will be a negative development for Europe because we will have a Europe without Russia. It would be a big step back for Europe.” But Ukraine and its supporters have warned that re-admitting Russia to the council without concessions on Crimea or the conflict in Ukraine would be giving in to Russian blackmail.

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They argue it will set off a chain reaction of weakening sanctions by other bodies such as the EU. A Ukrainian official said: “It would be the first hole in the wall.” Ukraine’s ambassador to the council Dmytro Kuleba added: “Without Moscow paying any price will mean that this organisation will discredit itself both in Ukraine and across the region”. “If it happens, Ukraine will review our relations with the Council of Europe.”

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But Mr Jagland said: “Nobody wants to give a signal that we accept the annexation of Crimea. “It is not about undermining this position of principle. But . . . we have to keep in perspective: what is our mandate. “Our mandate is to protect human rights in Russia and Crimea, or wherever people live on the continent.” The Council of Europe is separate from the EU as is the human rights convention and the European Court of Human Rights.

GETTY Thorbjorn Jagland is touring European capitals to warn that Moscow could crash out

They are considered to be vital pillars of European democracy and Russia’s admittance into the council in 1996 was seen as a key achievement of the post-cold war period. An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Valentina Matviyenko, warned Moscow might cease complying with the European rights court decisions if it could not vote on officials and judges. Russia has already passed a law allowing its constitutional court to exempt it from fulfilling judgements from the Strasbourg-based court. Mr Jagland has been pressing for dialogue between European ministers and the council's assembly on resolving the issue before it considers extending Russia’s voting in January.

GETTY Russia was stripped of voting rights after the 2014 annexation of Crimea