12:18, 15 May 2008

European Court to consider complaints of former servicemen in Chechnya

In the end of this April, the European Court for Human Rights started considering the cases of twelve Russian militaries, including those who had served in Chechnya, who complain of violation of their right to judicial defence.

The "Caucasian Knot" was informed at the Komi Human Rights Commission (KHRC) "Memorial" that the complaints had passed the stage of preliminary examination for eligibility and were communicated to the Government of Russia, which is confirmed by the documents of the Strasbourg Court that arrived on May 14 to human rights activists. Within the communication procedure, the Government was suggested to express, before September 5, 2008, its opinion on the complaints.

The human rights NGO from Syktyvkar is rendering help to one of the applicants - Alexander Balagurov, who lost his health in the terrorist attack on the building of Chechen Government in 2002. For four and a half years, Mr Balagurov could not get the lump sum compensation of 50,000 roubles that was allocated by Russian Government to every victim of that terror act.