ECtHR obliges Russia to pay almost 290,000 euros to relatives of killed Chechens

Today, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has pronounced the decision that the Russian authorities violated the right to life of 21 residents of the Chechen village of Novye Aldy, killed by law enforcers in 2000.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 5, 2000, according to eyewitnesses, units of OMON (riot police) entered the village of Novye Aldy. As a result, within several hours, more than 50 people fell victim to extrajudicial killings, including a one-year-old child, nine women, and 11 elderly people. In 2000, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" documented the deaths of 56 residents who fell victim to the "clean-up".

Today, the ECtHR has issued a resolution on the complaints filed by 20 Russian citizens in the case of "Khadjimuradov et al. vs. Russia".

The ECtHR has come to the conclusion that the Russian authorities had violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to life) and obliged them to pay 15,000 euros to each of 18 complainants, the amount of 15,000 euros for other two complainants, and 2500 euros for legal expenses, states the report posted today on the ECtHR's website.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.