ECHR: Russia must pay Georgia €10,000,000 for arrest, expulsion of Georgians in ‘06-’07
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The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has announced its judgment today in the case of Georgia v. Russia, regarding the arrest, detention and collective expulsion of Georgian nationals from Russia in the autumn of 2006.
The European Court of Human Rights held by sixteen votes to one that Russia has to pay Georgia 10,000,000 euros for non-pecuniary damage suffered by a group of at least 1,500 Georgian nationals,” the court’s press office says.
The judgement reads Georgian nationals who were the victims of collective expulsion will receive EUR 2,000, and EUR 10,000 to EUR 15,000 will go to the victims of unlawful deprivation of liberty and inhuman and degrading conditions of detention.
The Council of Europe will control the enforcement process of the judgement,” Georgian Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani says.
See the judgement here.
The Grand Chamber of the ECHR delivered a verdict in 2014 in a case lodged by Georgia against Russia in connection to the deportation of hundreds of Georgian nationals in late September 2006 and early 2007 following a Russia-Georgia spy row.
The judgment regarding compensation was made earlier today.
This is an important decision and victory for Georgia. I would like to express my gratitude towards all who have been involved in this process from the very beginning and especially to the Ministry of Justice. Very important evidence and materials have been gathered to achieve this result. The enforcement of international law is of the utmost priority in this case. On the other hand, it is necessary to continue working to ensure that the decision is enforced through the appropriate mechanisms. Therefore we will continue to work. Our mission has been actively involved in this process in Strasbourg and we will be actively involved in the future as well, so that the decision of the Human Rights Court will be fulfilled,” Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Zalkaliani said.
According to Georgian government claims, during that period more than 4,600 expulsion orders were issued by Russian authorities against Georgian nationals.
More than 2,300 were detained and forcibly expelled and the remaining left the country by their own means.
The mass deportation was preceded by the arrest of four Russian officers on charges of espionage by the previous government of Georgia in September 2006. In revenge, later in 2006 large numbers of Georgian nationals were mistreated in Russia.