Rights defenders file complaint to ECtHR against Russia and Georgia

On June 18, the Georgian human rights organization "Priority of Human Rights" sent a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg against the governments of Russia and Georgia in the context of breaching the Minsk Convention in the course of warfare in August 2008.

"Because of breaking their liabilities undertaken under the Minsk Convention, the Georgian and Russian parties will face the ECtHR in Strasbourg," runs the statement of the human rights organization.

"In accordance with the Georgian legislation and international conventions, the Georgian party should have warned and evacuated the peaceful population. Russia also was obliged to protect the population with the aim to avoid victims in that territory of Georgia over which it took the control," rights defenders say.

According to the NGO "Priority of Human Rights", today, almost two years after the military conflict in August 2008, no inquiry into the facts of violation in the course of warfare of human rights by Russia and Georgia was conducted," the "Georgia Оnline" reports.

Complaints were submitted to the ECtHR on behalf of family members of several peaceful citizens who perished during the August war: some of the cases were combined, some were submitted in the individual order, the "Gzt.ru" writes.