ECHR orders Russia to pay Georgia more than 253 million euros for human rights violations after the 2008 war
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Russia must pay Georgia more than €253 million in compensation for systematic human rights violations after the 2008 war. More than 29,000 victims will receive compensation.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Radio Liberty.
The court handed down its judgment in Georgia v. Russia (IV) in April 2024 and clarified the amount of compensation on October 14.
The ECHR recalled that it had established systematic violations of the European Convention on Human Rights by Russia. These included excessive use of force, torture and ill-treatment, unlawful detention, restrictions on freedom of movement and access to homes, land, and families, as well as a ban on education in the Georgian language.
To whom and how should the Russian Federation pay?
Compensation was awarded to more than 29,000 victims.
The court noted that the Georgian government must establish an effective mechanism for distributing compensation among the victims within 18 months of receiving payments from Russia.
The ECHR also noted that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe continues to monitor the implementation of the court's decisions regarding Russia. Under Article 46 (binding force and execution of judgments), Russia remains obliged to comply with judgments concerning events that took place before September 16, 2022, the date on which it ceased to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights.
However, the Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that they will not comply with ECHR decisions adopted after March 16, 2022.
How the Georgian Ministry of Justice commented on the decision
The Georgian Ministry of Justice commented on the ECHR ruling. The ministry congratulated the Georgian people on their "historic victory," calling the ruling "a logical continuation of historic cases won by Georgia against Russia."
It should be noted that Georgia filed the lawsuit with the ECHR on August 21, 2018. It referred to "mass oppression of the Georgian population" and "administrative practices of detention, assault, and murder" in territories not controlled by the central government and along administrative borders with them. In particular, it referred to the deaths of Archil Tatunashvili, Gigi Vidkhozoria, and David Basharuli.
