European Court announced the 100th judgment in case from Chechnya

Today, European Court of Human Rights announced judgments in five cases regarding human rights violations in Chechnya.

• Alaudinova v Russia (32297/05) — abduction and disappearance of applicant's son (Urus-Martan)
• Bitiyeva and Others v Russia (36156/04) — abduction and killing of nine residents of Duba-Yurt
• Gakiyev and Gakiyeva v Russia (3179/05) — abduction and killing of applicant's son (Argun)
• Israilova and Others v Russia (4571/04) — abduction and disappearance of two residents of Gekhi and Kulary (at block post)
• Khachukayev v Russia (28148/03) — abduction and killing of applicant's son (Goyty)

There are 104 European Court judgments issued as of today. Thus, any decision announced this Thursday may be regarded as the 100th judgment.

In case of Alaudinova v Russia the applicant  was represented by HRC Memorial (Moscow) and European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC, London). Lipa Alaudinova appealed regarding abduction and disappearance of her son in November 2001 in Urus-Martan, Chechnya.

The Court held Russia responsible  for violation of Articles 2, 3, 5, and 13 of the European Convention and ruled that Russia is to pay 35,000 EUR for non-pecuniary damage to the applicant.

In other four cases that applicants were represented by NGO Russian Justice Initiative. European Court ruled that there were violations of the European Convention and awarded applicants compensation of pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages.

"The number of European Court decisions regarding violations in the North Caucasus has now reached a hundred. However, there has been no effective investigation into these cases of violations of human rights. The only thing the Russian Government does is paying awarded compensation. We are left to hope that implementation of the decisions of the European Court in Russia will become of a more substantive nature earlier than yet another hundred judgments are announced," Oleg Orlov head of HRC Memorial Council said.

For more information about the case of Alaudinova v Russia please visit Memorial web-site (in Russian): http://www.memo.ru/2009/04/23/2304092.htm