Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, urged the Russian parliament on Tuesday to show its commitment to human rights by allowing important reforms to go ahead at the European Court of Human Rights, an organ burdened with a backlog of tens of thousands of cases.

”The court needs to be properly reformed, as that is what the whole human rights protection system in Europe hinges on,” Ms Merkel said in a speech to the Council of Europe, the 47-nation organisation that promotes democracy, human rights and the rule of law around Europe.