ECtHR obliges Russian government to pay compensation to Chechen women in context of disappearance of their relative

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled on the application about disappearance in 2000 of Beslan Baisultanov, a resident of Chechnya, and ordered Russia to pay 64,000 euros to three of his female relatives. This is stated in the today's decision of the Court after consideration of the case "Baisultanova et al versus Russia".

Beslan Baisultanov was kidnapped in May 2000 by armed men and presumably killed. As stated in their complaint to the ECtHR by the residents of Grozny Tumisha Baisultanova, Zulaya Baisultanova and Zara Djamaldinova, no investigation into the disappearance of their relatives had never been conducted.

The ECtHR found the complaint eligible and established that in relation to Beslan Baisultanov several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) had been violated, namely, "the right to life", "prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment", "the right to liberty and immunity of person" and "the right to an effective remedy".

The complainants will receive 60,000 euros as moral compensation and other 4000 euros to cover their legal expenses. Russia should pay the money within three months from the date the decision enters its legal force, says the ECtHR decision posted on the website.

It also stated that the case file was complemented with objections of the Russian government regarding non-exhaustion of domestic remedies, which were rejected by the ECtHR.