CoE to again discuss Russian refusal to pay €10 mln compensation to Georgia in March

Georgian Justice Ministry has reported that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) will again discuss how Russia implements the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) which obliged the country to pay a €10 million fine to Georgian citizens illegally deported in 2006. 

• ECHR: Russia must pay Georgia €10,000,000 for arrest, expulsion of Georgians in ‘06-’07

The ECHR judgement concerns the arrest, detention and collective expulsion of Georgian nationals from Russia in the autumn of 2006.

Russia, which has an “unconditional obligation” to fulfill the ECHR verdict, remains reluctant to do so, blaming Georgia in not providing the precise list of the “victims”. 

More than 2,300 were detained and forcibly expelled and the remaining left Russia by their own means. Photo:rferl.org

Ria Novosti reported on Thursday that Russian officials are expecting Georgia to provide the list of those affected by the expulsion, including the exact type of violation they faced and the amount of the compensation per person. 

However, Moscow says Georgia has not provided the list, hidnering them to refund. 

• Georgia officially assumes chairmanship of CoE

ECHR obliged Russia to pay Georgia 10,000,000 euros for non-pecuniary damage suffered by a group of at least 1,500 Georgian nationals in January 2019. Russia had the obligation to pay the fine before the end of April 2019, but refused to do so.

In December 2019, the CoE Committee of Ministers urged Russia for the second time to pay  the compensation, but in vain.