The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) recently passed a ruling that the country of Russia had systematically violated the human rights of Georgian citizens during the enforcement of its occupation and border regulations in two Georgian regions. The decision came on Tuesday and made quite some rounds in the international legal circles.
Upon review, ECHR found that Russia has transgressed several sections of the European Convention on Human Rights, such Articles two, three, five and eight which concern the right to life, the prohibition of torture, the right to liberty and respect for an individual’s private and family life respectively. Myriad convention protocols were also touched upon in the ruling – including the right to freedom of movement, the right to property, and the right to education.
Russia’s invasion and subsequent occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia resulted in a case lodged against Russia in August 2018, a decade post-invasion. The case was brought forth by the Georgian government, who argued the maltreatment, unlawful detainment, and torture of Georgians attempted to cross the boundary line was symptomatic of a “systematic pattern” of human rights breaches.
The ECHR agreed with Georgia’s sentiment, finding clear evidence that the incidents were not isolated but part of a demarcated pattern of multiple, systemic abuses. The series of abuses have jointly created a serious hindrance in free travel across the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL), causing significant issues for those residing along the boundary lines. An Amnesty International report documented the impact of this blockage on local residents which led to the uprooting and division of many ethnic Georgians dwelling near the boundary lines.
It is pertinent to note that this decision from the ECHR comes one year after the court ordered Russia to pay$134 million to Georgia in damages for the 2008 conflict. The court had then found Russia guilty of subjecting ethnic Georgians to “inhuman and degrading treatment” and specifically targeting them as an ethnic group.
The ECHR ruling has been hailed by Georgia’s Justice Minister Rati Bregadze who claimed that the decision underscored Georgia’s territorial integrity and the illegality of the borderization process. Bregadze sees this as a significant stride towards the “complete de-occupation” of Georgia.
For more information, you can read the detailed report here.