The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg has ruled that Russia must pay Georgia more than 253 million euros in compensation. The court said the ruling relates to Russia's actions on the border between Georgian-controlled territories and the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which were supported by Russia after the 2008 Caucasus War.
After the war, Moscow recognized those regions as independent states and stationed thousands of troops there. The ECHR declared that there was a system of violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, including excessive use of force, unlawful detentions and restrictions on freedom of movement. More than 29,000 people have suffered as a result of the establishment of border lines.
The decision was made years ago - the amount of compensation is new
The Strasbourg judges had reached a finding of human rights violations in a decision last year. They have now determined the amount of the compensation payment. The decision has not yet become final and the parties to the proceedings can appeal the decision within three months.
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has previously condemned Russia over the conflict in the South Caucasus. The court has left it up to the Georgian government to set up a mechanism to distribute compensation to victims. However, Georgia is unlikely to receive any compensation from Russia, as it does not recognise the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. Due to its war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe in 2022 and is no longer a member of the European Convention on Human Rights.
However, the European Court of Human Rights, which oversees compliance with the Convention, can continue to rule on events that occurred up to six months after Russia's expulsion. The Council of Europe, the Convention on Human Rights and the Court are independent of the EU. /DW
