European Court rules Russia to pay 14,000 euros to Chechen war veteran

The European Court for Human Rights has obliged Russia to pay over fourteen thousand euros to Oleg Tetsen, 29, a resident of Vizing village, Komi Republic, a participant of the war in Chechnya, for breaching his rights to fair trial and possession of property.

The decision of the European Court for Human Rights on the case "Tetsen versus Russia" was promulgated on April 3, 2008, as reported by Ernest Mezak, an activist of the Komi Human Rights Commission "Memorial".

Oleg Tetsen was at his military service in Chechnya from June 14, 2001, to July 31, 2003. On August 25, 2003, the Garrison Military Court of Rostov-on-Don upheld his suit against the military command of the Chechen Republic on payment to him of combat bonuses in the sum of 444,965 roubles. The ruling was not appealed against and came into legal force.

On October 20, 2005, the same Military Court cancelled its previous ruling of August 25, 2003, on newly revealed circumstances. The Court found that the 2003 ruling was based on unreliable evidences.

The European Court for Human Rights considered that cancellation of enacted ruling more than two years later is a violation of Part 1, Article 6, of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The European Court for Human Rights has awarded 12,600 euros to Oleg Tetsen as compensation of material damage and 1500 euros as indemnification of moral harm.