The Council of Europe says it has officially decided to expel Russia from the continent's foremost human rights body.

The organization's committee of ministers made the decision at an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday. It took effect immediately.

The Council of Europe, established in 1949, is an international organization that plays a leading role in formulating international standards on human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

The decision came after Russia announced it was withdrawing its membership.

The Russian foreign ministry said on Tuesday that NATO and European Union countries have transformed the Council of Europe into "an anti-Russian policy tool" and rejected dialogue on equal terms.

The council countered by saying, "Through their actions in Ukraine the Russian authorities deprive the Russian people of the benefit of the most advanced human rights protection system in the world."

The exclusion means Russian people will no longer be able to take cases of human rights and other violations to the European Court of Human Rights, which is the lower body of the Council of Europe.

In February last year, the court issued a decision calling for the immediate release of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.