Council of Europe leaders “profoundly concerned” about Russia’s non-execution of ECHR judgments on Georgia

The leaders of the Council of Europe on Thursday expressed their “profound concern” about Russia’s non-execution of judgments in two rulings by the European Court of Human Rights against the country and in favour of Georgia.

The comment was a remark on cases ruled on by the ECHR, the first concerning the arrest, detention and expulsion from Russia of large numbers of Georgian nationals between September 2006 and January 2007. 

The Court found in 2014 the move had violated articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, including the prohibition of collective expulsion of aliens, right to liberty and security, right to judicial review of detention, and prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment.

The Committee “strongly reiterated” its concern that the payment of the just satisfaction and default interest in favour of the Georgian citizens had not been made by Russia, and “strongly exhorted” the Russian authorities to pay the damages and its accrued interest “without any further delay”.

It also commented on the second case, which concerns various violations of the European Convention on Human Rights in the context of the armed conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008. 

The body called upon the Russian state to “timely” pay the sums awarded in the Court’s judgment on just satisfaction in April of this year in the case, and urged the country’s authorities to “thoroughly, independently, effectively and promptly” investigate the “serious crimes” committed by forces under its control during the war.

The crimes have been found to have been committed during the active phase of hostilities, as well as during the subsequent period of the ongoing occupation of two Georgian regions, by Russian-controlled forces.

In its calls, the Committee urged Russia to identify those responsible for the purposes of bringing the perpetrators to justice.