ECtHR awards 360,000-euro compensation to victims of terror act in Beslan

The European Court of Human Rights upheld the complaint filed by 39 victims of the seizure of a school in Beslan and awarded them compensation for non-pecuniary damage. The Russian authorities did not take the necessary measures to investigate the circumstances of the terror act and the reasons for the death of the hostages, the Strasbourg Court decided.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on April 13, 2017, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) recognized the violation of the rights of relatives of those killed and injured during the seizure of the Beslan school in 2004 and awarded 409 applicants the compensation in the amount of 2.955 million euros and another amount of 88,000 euros to cover legal costs. Russia ignores the findings of the ECtHR and refuses to investigate the circumstances that led to numerous victims among the hostages, activists Ella Kesaeva and Aneta Gadieva stated.

The European Court ruled that Russia violated an article of the European Convention on Human Rights, which provides for the obligation to plan and control any operation with the use of lethal force in order to minimize the risk to human life.

The ECtHR also believes that at least several days before the terror act, the authorities had information about the planned terror act in the school area on September 1. However, the terrorists were able to successfully prepare and seize the building.

“The data even from the investigations of the bodies that were carried out indicate that many victims were killed by indiscriminate fire from the authorities’ forces at the beginning of the assault of the school building,” noted Nadezhda Ermolaeva, an advocate from the “Musaev & Partners” bureau.