ECtHR obliges Russia to pay compensations to North-Ossetian residents in torture case

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has appointed 60,000 euros of compensation to each of the following residents of North Ossetia: Rustam Tsurov, Umar Khadziev and Alikhan Ozdoev, who are serving long prison terms on terrorism charges. The ECtHR found a violation of the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) on the prohibition of torture and the right to a fair trial.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in December 2007, the Supreme Court (SC) of North Ossetia found all the above three guilty of committing terror acts and sentenced Tsurov to 24 years in prison, Khadziev to 23 years, and Ozdoev to 18 years. The convicts had stated that they gave testimonies under torture.

Law enforcers kicked the detainees, beat them up with truncheons and water bottles, put bags over their heads, tortured them with electric current, burned them with cigarettes, and demanded that they confess to the imputed crimes. "The applicants periodically lost consciousness. Law enforcers failed to react to their requests for medical help … As a result, they were forced to confess to having committed terror acts," the ECtHR's report says.

Although Khadziev, Ozdoev and Tsurov later denied their testimonies given under torture and without advocates, the North-Ossetian SC found them guilty; their appeals against the verdict were rejected. All the three are still serving their sentences, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has reported.