ECtHR awards compensation to a woman from Ingushetia for death of her son

The Strasbourg Court found the Russian authorities responsible for the unlawful detention and death of 17-year-old Magomed Gorchkhanov and obliged them to pay 70,000 euros in compensation to Dibikhan Pugoeva, a resident of Ingushetia.

On the afternoon of November 22, 2010, a car in which Magomed Gorchkhanov was travelling together with two other residents of the republic was stopped by fighters of the internal troops. One of the passengers began to shoot back and was killed at the place, and two other men did not render resistance and left the car with their hands up. On November 27, 2010, Dibikhan Pugoeva, a mother of Magomed Gorchkhanov, received an envelope with a memory card, which contained a video of the detention. The video shows how Gorchkhanov and Korigov were beaten during their detention and put into the luggage boot of a Lada Priora car. Four days later, the FSB issued a press release about a special operation carried out in the village of Plievo on November 25, 2010, during which two unidentified persons, who allegedly provided assistance to an illegal armed formation (IAF), blew themselves up after an intense shootout. Their bodies were completely destroyed and were identified six months later.

Dibikhan Pugoeva requested the institution of a criminal case, but received five refusals to open a criminal case, in connection with which she appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

The Strasbourg Court found there was a violation of the right to life and the right to liberty and security of person and obliged the Russian authorities to pay the complainant 70,000 euros in compensation.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 7, 2021 at 07:00 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.