CoE gives Russia deadline to pay €10 million fine to Georgia, otherwise it may face sanctions
Russia illegally deported Georgian citizens back in 2006, under the United National Movement government. Photo: Euractiv.
Tweet 
Share
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has given a Russia deadline of November 12, 2020 to pay a €10 million fine to Georgia for illegal deportation of Georgian citizens back in 2006, the Ministry of Justice of Georgia reported earlier today.
If Russia still refuses to pay the compensation per the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights in 2019, the council will adopt an interim resolution in December 2020 - the first step for the launching of procedures against Russia for shirking its responsibilities.
The two key levers the Committee of Ministers has to make the country meet its obligations are suspension of the country’s membership or its voting rights in the Council of Europe.
Russia regained its voting right to CoE only in June 2019, having lost it in 2014 following its annexation of the Crimea.
Russia, which earlier declined to pay its membership dues, agreed to pay them, as well as fines, amounting to €75 million before regaining the right.
More than 4,600 expulsion orders were issued by Russian authorities against Georgian nationals back in 2006.
On January 31, 2019 the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights announced its judgment in the case Georgia v. Russia regarding the arrest, detention and collective expulsion of Georgian nationals from Russia in the autumn of 2006.
The verdict said Russia had to pay Georgia €10,000,000 for non-pecuniary damage suffered by a group of at least 1,500 Georgian nationals.
As Russia did not pay the amount within the three-month term established by the court (by May 1, 2019), Georgian Justice Ministry demanded the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to hold debates regarding the issue.
- 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.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) stated today that Russia must pay from €2,000 to €15,000 to Georgian nationals who were mistreated by the Russian government in the autumn of 2006, when hundreds of Georgian citizens were illegally detained and then deported from Russia.
Georgian Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani stated in parliament today that starting from 2013 the Georgian Dream leadership has gathered and presented more than 700 pieces of evidence proving that Russia started the war in Georgia in 2008.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe says that Russia has an “unconditional obligation” to fulfill the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and pay €10 million to Georgian citizens illegally deported in 2006. The Committee of Ministers says that Russia must also pay default interest accrued because of the delay of the payment.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will discuss on how Russia implemented the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights which obliged the country pay a €10 million fine to Georgian citizens illegally deported in 2006.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) has again ‘strongly urged’ the Russian authorities to pay €10 million in compensation to Georgian citizens illegally deported in 2006 by September 6, 2021.
Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Friday hailed the victory of the country over Russia in a European Court of Human Rights case related to the 2008 war between the two states and stressed “historical justice always wins over historical injustice, no matter how much time passes”.