European Court condemns Russia for death of Chechen resident

The European Court on Human Rights in Strasbourg has found Russia guilty of the death of a resident of Chechnya in 2000 and has obliged the government to pay out 37,000 euros to his widow. The decision was made back on February 12, but officially announced only today.

The case related to Lecha Khazhmuradov, a resident of the Urus-Martan District of Chechnya, who perished in September 2000 in the suburb of Goiskoye village, when together with Rizvan Dokmerzaev he went to cut fire wood near the Goitinka River. According to eyewitnesses, soon two ATCs (armoured troop-carriers) drove up to the river bank, and the militaries who were in the vehicles shot Khazhmuradov and Dokmerzaev dead.

Louise Khalitova, Khazhmuradov's widow, was the applicant to the European Court; she had repeatedly and unsuccessfully applied to local judicial instances.

According to the European Court's decision, Russia will have to pay 35,000 euros to the applicant as moral damage compensation, and 2400 euros to cover the judicial expenses.

The Russian party asserts that RF's authorities have not yet finished their investigatory actions on the case and have no weighty proofs of involvement of Russian soldiers in Khazhmuradov's murder, as the NEWSru.com reports.