The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has ordered Russia to pay Georgia over 253 million euros for actions following the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.
The court’s ruling was published on the ECHR website on Tuesday, October 14.
The decision in the case “Georgia v. Russia (IV)” was issued in April 2024, and today the court specified the amount of compensation.
The court found that the establishment of demarcation lines in Abkhazia and South Ossetia since 2009 violated the rights of approximately 29,000 people, who are now entitled to compensation for moral damage.
Russian military forces helped build a metal fence with barbed wire along the former administrative border between these territories, which Tbilisi calls the “occupation line.” The court noted systematic violations of the European Convention on Human Rights by Russia, including excessive use of force, torture and ill-treatment, unlawful detentions, restrictions on freedom of movement and access to homes, land, and families, as well as bans on education in the Georgian language.
In April 2023, the ECHR ordered Russia to pay 115 million euros to Georgian citizens who were unable to return to their homes in Abkhazia and South Ossetia due to the 2008 invasion.
Additionally, Russia was fined 8 million euros for the harm caused to those affected by the inability to conduct effective investigations into deaths during the conflict.
Victims of torture, killings, and degrading treatment are to receive over 5 million euros in compensation, according to the ECHR ruling.
