Court: Russia to Pay Chechens
Legal World
The European Court of Human Rights ordered the Russian government to pay damages of $196,000 to the family members of 11 Chechen civilians killed by Russian soldiers in 2000.
The court, in a Thursday ruling, suggested that by not bringing the soldiers to justice, Russian prosecutors had implicitly accepted the massacre in Novye Aldi, when security forces rampaged through the town, setting fire to houses and killing at least 50 civilians.
``The astonishing ineffectiveness of the prosecuting authorities in this case can only be qualified as acquiescence in the events,'' the court said in its decision.
Moscow has denied that its security forces are guilty of atrocities in the southern Muslim republic of Chechnya, where two wars have been fought to re-establish Russian control following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
But relatives of Chechen victims have recently been seeking reparations from the Strasbourg-based human rights court - and winning.
Russia said last week that it wanted to restrict the flow of appeals to the court by allowing its citizens to file human rights cases against the state in Russian courts - something they cannot do now.
Chechens have opposed this move, saying they fear the government wants to deprive them of their only hope for justice.
The court has issued more than 10 verdicts against Russia in the past few months in cases concerning the Chechen wars. Some 200 are still pending.
Related listings
-
Cold-fX maker sued for $110-million lawsuit
Legal World 07/23/2007CV Technologies, the Edmonton-based makers of flu and cold remedy Cold-fX, has been hit with a $110-million consumer class-action lawsuit.Marking the latest setback for the besieged biotech company, the lawsuit was filed in Ontario Superior Court in ...
-
Pakistan court reinstates top judge
Legal World 07/20/2007[##_1L|1365730790.jpg|width="110" height="88" alt=""|_##]The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that President Pervez Musharraf had no authority to suspend Pakistan's top judge and ordered him reinstated, a major blow to the standing of the general who ha...
-
Russia vows response to UK expulsions
Legal World 07/17/2007A Kremlin spokesman has promised a "targeted" response to Britain's expulsion of four Russian diplomats, raising the stakes in a dispute over the murder probe of a former KGB spy.Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko briefed reporters in ...
New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC
Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.