CoE obliges Russia to pay Euro10 million to Georgian deportation victims by September

By Natalia Kochiashvili

Friday, June 11

More than 2,300 were detained and forcibly expelled and the remaining left Russia by their own means

The ECHR judgment concerns the arrest, detention and collective expulsion of Georgian nationals from Russia in the autumn of 2006.

Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has demanded from the Russian Federation to pay Euro10 million including interest rates in compensation for the mass deportation of 1,500 citizens to the Georgian state, or to sign a Memorandum of Understanding so that the compensation can happen through CoE.

The decision was made at the meeting of the minister's committee in Strasbourg on 7-9 June.

According to the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, at the March and June 2021 sittings, Russia's position was no longer to refuse to pay and instead expressed readiness to transfer compensation to the CoE and sign a memorandum with the organization.

“The Committee of Ministers reiterated that the deadline for payment of compensation expired on April 30, 2019, and expressed deep concern that the Russian authorities have not yet fulfilled their unconditional obligation to pay fair compensation,” the Ministry of Justice said.

On January 31, 2019, the European Court of Human Rights Grand Chamber imposed Russian Federation to pay 10 million euros for the mass deportation of Georgian citizens from human rights violations in 2006.

The decision was upheld by 16 judges against one. Enforcement procedures are handled by the Committee of Ministers of the CoE.

The deadline for payment was set by the European Court of Human Rights on April 30, 2019, but Russia is still not fulfilling its obligation. In December 2019, the Committee of Ministers urged Russia for the second time to pay the compensation, but in vain.

Russia has been blaming Georgia for not providing the precise list of the “victims”, which “hinders the refund process.” Ria Novosti reported that Russian officials are expecting Georgia to provide the list of those affected by the expulsion, including the exact type of violation they faced and the amount of the compensation per person.