ECtHR recognizes violation of protesters' rights in Southern Russia

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has awarded compensations to nine residents of Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd and Krasnodar, who were detained at protests in 2017, despite the fact that Russia refused to enforce its decisions.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 23, the ECtHR awarded compensations to participants and organizers of the protests in Astrakhan, Volgograd and Krasnodar, although Russia refused to enforce ECtHR's decisions.

On March 30, the ECtHR ruled on the cases of protesters in Russia, recognizing the violation of their rights to the freedom of assembly and a fair trial. Among those to whom the Court awarded compensation, there are residents of Kuban (Krasnodar Territory), Rostov and Volgograd Regions.

In the case of "Didenko et al vs. Russia", the ECtHR has recognized the violation of the rights of Volgograd residents Irina and Mikhail Didenko, who were detained in March 2017 for protests against corruption. As a result, they were fined. The ECtHR has awarded them compensation of 4000 euros each.

Two more participants in this action in Volgograd, Svetlana and Alexander Abolonin, were also fined by 10,000 roubles each; the ECtHR has ruled to pay them 3500 euros each.

The applicants described the facts of unlawful detention, violence and other pressure from law enforcers: mobile phones were taken away from detained activists; they were forcibly fingerprinted and photographed, the "OVD-Info"* human rights project has noted.

Prior to Russia's exit from the Council of Europe, the consideration at the ECtHR was a very efficient legal mechanism, Vitaly Katsko, a lawyer, has noted.