Strasbourg Court holds Russia responsible for torture, murder of Giorgi Antsukhelidze, other Georgian soldiers

The Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) made judgments in several cases on Georgia, including the case of “Malachini and others vs Russia,” concerning crimes committed by Russia during the 2008 Georgia-Russia armed conflict.

The Court held Russia responsible for the torture and murder of Giorgi Antsukhelidze and other Georgian soldiers.

The case concerned mainly the applicants’ complaints about the torture and murder of three Georgian prisoners of war between 9 and 11 August 2008. It also concerned the alleged torture of other surviving prisoners of war between 9 and 19 August 2008.

The Court decided that Russia violated Articles 2 (right to life) and 3 (prohibition of torture) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Court determined: The violation of Article 2 (right to life and investigation) in the case of Ushangi Sopromadze, Kakhaber Khubuluri and Giorgi Antsukhelidze resulting in death, and violation of Article 3 (ill-treatment and investigation) in the case of Ushangi Sopromadze, Kakhaber Khubuluri, Giorgi Antsukhelidze, Davit Malachini, Zaza Kavtiashvili, Imeda Qutashvili, Malkhaz Meladze and Kakhaber Zirakishvili with torture.

The Court ruled that Russia should pay EUR 65,000 to the family of Sopromadze, EUR 65,000 to the family of Khubuluri, EUR 65,000 to the family of Antsukhelidze and EUR 40,000 each to the remaining applicants.

The complaint was filed in the European Court of Human Rights by the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA).