Russia to pay out over 42,000 euros for kidnapping and death of Chechen Parliament's Speaker

The European Court for Human Rights has recognized today that Ruslan Alihadjiev, Speaker of Chechen Parliament, was kidnapped by Russian authorities and became "a victim of violent disappearance," Kirill Koroteev, a lawyer of the HRC "Memorial" who is providing legal support to the relatives of the former head of the Parliament of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (ChRI), told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The Court found violations of Articles 2 (the right to live) and 5 (the right to freedom and personal inviolability) of the European Convention on Human Rights in relation to Alihajiev. "The fact that his mother could not get any information on the fate of her disappeared son from the authorities was recognized by the Court to be a violation of the prohibition of inhuman treatment in relation to the applicant Zura Alihajieva (Article 3)," the lawyer of the "Memorial" added.

Also, the Russian Federation was found guilty of inefficient investigation of Ruslan Alihajiev's disappearance (Articles 13 and 2 of the Convention). The evidences of tortures applied to the missing Chechen politician were found insufficient in Strasbourg.

The European Court has obliged the state to pay out 40,000 euros to the applicant as compensation of moral damage and to reimburse the judicial expenses and claimants' costs. Since Zura Alihadjieva died, one of her relatives will get the money.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported earlier that the complaint "Alihadjieva versus Russia" was recognized eligible 18 months ago, on December 8, 2005. The interests of the applicant were represented by the lawyers of the "Memorial" and the European Centre for Defence of Human Rights.