After Russia occupied Crimea and began aggression in eastern Ukraine, the country faced economic sanctions from Western countries, including the European Union and United States. It also faced political sanctions in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), its key institution, having been suspended in its voting rights. After an unsuccessful attempt to be fully restored in PACE at the end of 2017, the Russian delegation is attempting another comeback in October 2018 – and triggering alarms that this would end PACE as a human rights protector.
Here is everything you need to know about one of the most disturbing scenarios unraveling in a European institution.
