02 December 2011, Friday On 2 December 2011, the Committee of Minister adopted an Interim Resolution on the Execution of the judgments of the ECtHR in the 154 cases against the Russian Federation concerning actions of the security forces in the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation (the Khashiyev group of cases or the "Chechen cases"). The Resolution marks a milestone in the Committee's monitoring of execution in the Chechen cases.

The Resolution recognizes that “the execution of these judgments requires the adoption of comprehensive measures in particular aimed at improving the legal and regulatory framework governing anti-terrorist activities of security forces, including the use of force and the existence of safeguards to prevent ill-treatment and disappearances; ensuring effective accountability of members of the security forces for abuses committed during antiterrorist operations, including effective domestic investigations” and notes “with concern that despite the efforts made... more than six years after the first judgments of the Court, in the vast majority of cases, it has not yet been possible to achieve conclusive results and to identify and ensure the accountability of those responsible”.

The Interim Resolution concludes by encouraging the Russian authorities “to take all necessary measures to ensure that the statutes of limitation do not negatively impact on the full implementation of the court’s judgments.” The Resolution refers to six specific cases for follow-up: Isayeva, Abuyeva, Sadykov, Musayev and others v Russia, Bazorkina, and Khadisov and Tsechoyev. In relation to the Sadykov case, the Committee notes that one of the perpetrators in this case was arrested and is currently in custody in Grozny.

To read more about the problem of statutes of limitation from the point of view of applicants’ representatives, see the joint submission made by Russian Justice Initaitive, Memorial HRC and the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre of November 2011. 

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