The NGO GYLA (Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association) has won the case “Malachin and Others v. Russia” against the Russian Federation at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), representing the interests of Georgian servicemen.
The case concerns the events of the August 2008 war, as well as the torture and murder of three Georgian soldiers—Giorgi Antsukhelidze, Shmagi Sopromadze, and Kakhaber Khubuluri.
The case also concerned other servicemen—David Malachin, Zaza Kavtiashvili, Imeda Kutashvili, Malkhaz Meladze, and Kakhaber Zirakashvili—who were subjected to torture, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
The Strasbourg court ruled that the Russian Federation is obliged to pay compensation to the families of each deceased soldier and to the affected Georgian servicemen:
- EUR 65,000 — to the families of Giorgi Antsukhelidze, Shmagi Sopromadze, and Kakhaber Khubuluri, in respect of whom the court found a violation of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights — the right to life.
- EUR 40,000 — to the representatives of David Malachin, Zaza Kavtiashvili, Imeda Kutashvili, Malkhaz Meladze, and Kakhaber Zirakashvili, in respect of whom a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention — the prohibition of torture, inhuman, and degrading treatment — was established.