Time in Tbilisi: March 29, 2024 10:34
Georgia has won the 2008 war case against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The court released its judgement earlier today which says that Russia violated several articles of the European Convention on Human rights during the conflict and carried out ethnic cleansing of Georgians.
The court noted that it was not disputed that 160 Georgian civilians, most of whom were fairly elderly and one-third of whom were women, had been detained by South Ossetian forces in the basement of the “Ministry of Internal Affairs of South Ossetia” in Tskhinvali between around 10 and 27 August2008. Since the Georgian civilians had been detained mainly after the hostilities had ceased, the Court concluded that they had fallen within the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation.
The court said that Russia also violated the 38th article because it did not cooperate with ECHR.
The court will now discuss the issue of compensations. Photo: Council of Europe / Sandro Weltin.
The court said that Russia is controlling Georgia’s Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions and is responsible for the violation of human rights of Georgian citizens.
The court said that Abkhazia and Tskhinvali are integral parts of Georgia.
By eleven votes to six, ECHR said that the events occurring during the active phase of hostilities (8 to 12 August 2008) had not fallen within the jurisdiction of Russia.
By sixteen votes to one, ECHR said that the events occurring after the cessation of hostilities (following the ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008) had fallen within the jurisdiction of Russia.
The decision of the grand chamber of the court can not be appealed.
Georgia submitted the lawsuit on August 11, 2008. The case was partly admitted by the court in December 2013. The first trial around the case was held in September 2011. Grand chamber of the court received the case in April 2012. Witnesses were heard in June 2016, while the last discussion was held in May 2018.
The court should separately discuss the issue of compensations. The parties have a year's time to present their positions.
After the judgement the court will also discuss individual lawsuits related to the August 2008 case.
On January 31, 2019 the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights also 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.
However, Russia has not paid the compensation so far.
Russia continues the creeping occupation of Georgian territories. Photo: government of Georgia press office.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who is on a two-day visit to Brussels, has met with EU officials earlier today. Tomorrow the Georgian President will meet with the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has responded to Georgia’s recent victory in the Russia-Georgia 2008 war case in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Georgian top officials have stated that the country’s victory in the August 2008 war case against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is ‘historic and an enormous victory for the country.’
The Group of Friends of Georgia in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has released a statement in which they call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the so-called independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions in Georgia.
Georgian national flags were lowered to half mast on Saturday as government officials and Georgia's international partners marked 12 years since the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.
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.
Georgian Justice Ministry has called on the European Council Committee of Ministers to examine the case of the deportation of hundreds of Georgian nationals in late September 2006 and early 2007 from Russia under intensified surveillance procedure.
The US Embassy to Georgia has stated that the recent judgement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the 2008 war case is clearly in favour of Georgia.
De facto president of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region Anatoly Bibilov says that the recent judgement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in favour of Georgia in the Russia-Georgia 2008 war case is ‘biased, politicised and has nothing to do with real facts.’
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has stated that the recent judgement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Russia-Georgia 2008 war case ‘is of great legal and historic importance for Georgia,’ and that the judgement is likely to have an impact of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation of the war.
The United States Mission to the OSCE has stated that the recent judgement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Russia-Georgia 2008 war case ‘adds further weight to the international community’s demand that Russia cease its blatant violations of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity’.
The European Union calls for the immediate release of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze, who was sentenced to 12 years and six months in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region yesterday. The United States Embassy also expresses solidarity with Zaza Gakheladze and his family, and all families ‘who have had to endure Russia’s oppressive occupation’.
Russia is ready to participate in discussions over its obligation of paying €10 million in compensation to Georgian citizens who were illegally deported from Russia back in 2006, Georgian Justice Minister Gocha Lortkipanidze stated earlier today. The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in January 2019 that Russia must pay out the compensation. However, Russia has refused to do so.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) has expressed its ‘profound concern’ that Russia, which is obliged to pay a €10 million fine to Georgian citizens illegally deported in 2006, has made no payment yet.
In the document, the CoE welcomed the recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case Georgia v. Russia that ‘established the responsibility of Russia for grave human rights violations during the period of occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali following the August 2008 war, as the state exercising effective control over those regions’.
Georgian condom brand AIISA, which was fined 500 GEL for unethical packaging designs in 2018, has won a case against Georgia in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The Georgian parliament has adopted a resolution on de-occupation and peaceful resolution of territorial conflicts to once again urge Russia to withdraw its forces from Georgian territory and request stronger support from the international community.
Russia says it is ready to restore relations with Georgia ‘to the extent Georgia is ready for this,’ expressing hope that ‘common sense will prevail in Tbilisi’ and it will start developing relations with its currently Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions ‘as independent states.’
The Georgian Foreign Ministry says that statements made by FM David Zalkaliani during a recent interview about a cooperation format proposed by Turkey and Iran which would include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Russia has been ‘misinterpreted’ by the media.
The ECHR has ruled two Russian cases submitted to the court pertaining to the August war of 2008 inadmissible: ‘Shavlokhova and others vs. Georgia’ and ‘Bekoyeva and others vs. Georgia’. Georgian Minister of Justice Rati Bregadze said that the cases were filed by individuals living in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region in August 2008, who claimed that Georgia had breached their human rights.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has stated that the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to dismiss two cases filed by Russia against Georgia regarding the August 2008 war is an important step towards the de-occupation of the country’s two occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
De facto president of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region, Anatoly Bibilov, has said that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling on the August 2008 war cases in favour of Georgia was not unexpected. Bibilov claims that the ‘collective West’ is shielding Georgia and encouraging the country to ‘continue armed aggressions.’
OSCE Group of Friends of Georgia reaffirms its full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The joint statement was delivered on behalf of Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America at the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting on December 3.
US Congressman Don Bacon says that the United States should arm its partners, such as Georgia, ‘to make invasion costly before it is too late.’
Human Rights Watch has released its 2022 World Report, noting setbacks in labour, journalists’ and children’s rights in Georgia, and pointed at a ‘lack of accountability for law enforcement abuses.’
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has begun considering a total of 59 individual complaints against Russia over the Russia-Georgia 2008 war, which left tens of thousands displaced from their homes in the now-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) announced on Tuesday.
The International Criminal Court in Hague has issued arrest warrants against three de facto officials of Georgia's Russian-occupied breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region in a case of torture and ill-treatment of Georgian civilians during the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, the Georgian Justice Ministry announced earlier today.
The decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against de facto officials of Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region on a 2008 Russia-Georgia war case is a “great victory” and “great success” for Georgia, Maka Botchorishvili, the Chairwoman of the Georgian Parliament’s European Union Integration Committee, said on Friday.
The pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Thursday issued arrest warrants for three former high-ranking officials in the de facto authorities of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, in a decision that follows a 2021 European Court of Human Rights ruling over their human rights violations during the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia in the region.
Prospects of deepening the existing cooperation between Georgia and the European Court of Human Rights were discussed on Wednesday by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and ECHR President Robert Spano.
The 2008 war between Russia and Georgia showed “we cannot rely on negotiations with the Kremlin”, Anna Fotyga, a Member of the European Parliament, said ahead of the upcoming 14th anniversary of the Russian invasion that sparked the five-day war between the two states.
The Council of Europe’s committee of ministers on Friday said it “deeply deplored” the lack of response of the Russian authorities on the 2019 judgement from the European court of human rights that ordered the country to pay €10 million in compensation to 1,500 Georgian nationals over their arrest, detention and collective expulsion from Russia between 2006-2007.
Tamar Taliashvili, Georgia’s representative to the Council of Europe, on Wednesday presented a report on the human rights situation in the Russian-occupied territories of the country at a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the organisation.
The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday unanimously held Russia responsible for violating three articles of the Human Rights Convention, including inhuman treatment, right to liberty and security, as well as right to a fair trial in a case concerning Levan Mamasakhlisi and Grigol Nanava’s unlawful arrests, ill-treatment and detention.
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”.
The Georgian foreign office on Monday highlighted a “serious threat to the security architecture” of the wider region and Europe posed by the 2008 intervention of Russia into Georgia, in comments over the 15th anniversary of the aggression that sparked that year’s war between the two countries.
Levan Ioseliani, the Public Defender of Georgia, on Monday urged the country’s authorities to “use all international mechanisms” and ensure further engagement of the international community to “intensify” pressure on Russia to protect the rights of the people living in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions, in his message on the 15th anniversary of the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.
Foreign government officials, dignitaries of international organisations and diplomats on Monday expressed their support for Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty and condemned Russia’s 2008 aggression against it in comments over the 15th anniversary of the conflict.
The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said his country’s Government “strongly” supported Georgia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, in remarks over the 15th anniversary of the 2008 invasion of Georgia by Russia and the war between the two countries.
The Council of Europe meeting of the Ministers' Deputies on Tuesday adopted its decision on 'the Council of Europe and the conflict in Georgia', supporting Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, “clearly calling on” Russia to fulfil its international obligations and completely withdraw its forces from the country’s territory.