Page 8 - GEORptFeb21

2.3​ ​ECHR rules Russia violated human rights in war against Georgia
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has upheld Georgia's claim that Russia violated the European Convention on Human Rights during the 12-day Russo-Georgian War in August 2008, saying that Moscow was responsible for the murder of Georgian civilians, and the looting and burning of homes.
In a landmark judgment, the ECHR ruled that Russia committed a series of rights violations, including torture and preventing people from returning to their homes in the wake of the conflict.
The case concerned allegations made by the Georgian government of administrative practices on the part of the Russian Federation that entailed various breaches of the Convention in connection with the war.
The court said that Russia controls Georgia’s South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions and is responsible for the violation of human rights of Georgian citizens.
It also determined that Abkhazia and Tskhinvali are integral parts of Georgia. The decision cannot be appealed.
Georgia called the ECHR decision “historic”.
"For the first time in history, Georgia is legally justified, the state is recognised as a victim of this war, and this is a great achievement for our country," Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili stated in Brussels during a working visit.
"Today is the most important day in the recent history of Georgia! The dispute, Georgia against Russia, ended with the victory of Georgia in the European Court of Human Rights!” said Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.
"Georgia has won a 12-year-old dispute with Russia. Strasbourg court ruled that Russia carried out ethnic cleansing of Georgians during the 2008 war, and Russia violated several articles of the Convention on Human Rights during the war," the Minister of Justice Gocha Lortkipanidze stated.
Russia said it regarde the ruling as “unfounded”.
The Russian Justice Ministry said it disagreed with a number of conclusions in the verdict on Russia’s responsibility for violations after August 12, 2008, claiming that the ECHR’s use of the “extraterritorial jurisdiction” concept was at odds with the UN International Court of Justice and generally recognised norms of international law.
Russian Deputy Justice Minister Mikhail Galperin insisted that the country’s representatives managed to convince the court’s judges that the legal assessment of actions conducted by the Russian armed forces in Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and Abkhazia from August 8-12, 2008 “is beyond their jurisdiction.”
8​ GEORGIA Country Report​ February 2021 ​ ​www.intellinews.com