Politics: Strasbourg court sentences Moscow in Politkowskaja and Pussy Riot cases

Booth: 13:22 | Duration: 3 minutes

D The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has accused Russia of two major violations of human rights. One of the verdicts issued on Tuesday criticizes the investigation after the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the second concerns the condemnation of the Kremlin's critical female punk band, Pussy Riot. The Strasbourg judges granted relief to the Politkovskaya survivors and Pussy Riot members.

In the Politkovskaya case, the court ruled that the journalist's mother, sister and two children were right, accusing Moscow of insufficient investigation. They must now pay Russia 20,000 euros in compensation for pain, because even the Strasbourg court has found serious errors in the investigation.

Politkovskaya, 48, was shot dead on October 7, 2006 in the elevator of his Moscow home. She was known as a harsh critic of President Vladimir Putin.

After the murder, the Russian justice immediately opened an investigation and finally charged five men, including a police officer. Two of them were sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2014 for murder, others for complicity in imprisonment between 12 and 20 years. To this day, it is not clear who ordered the murder.

The Russian government has clearly developed "a theory" that a London-based businessman should have been the brain, according to the Strasbourg ruling. However, she did not submit a single piece of evidence for this theory

It is also unclear whether, following the death of the businessman in 2013, the Russian authorities have tried to clarify his role in the badbadination of Politkowskaja.

Above all, Russia did not explain why the investigators were only pursuing this path, the judges complained. It was not investigated whether members of the Russian secret service or the administration in Chechnya were involved in the murder. These omissions must be considered as a violation of the fundamental right to the protection of life.

The second decision in Strasbourg concerns the arrest and detention of three members of the female punk band Pussy Riot following a protest action in a church in Moscow in 2012. Two of the women remained imprisoned for one year and nine months have spoken. Court a penalty of 16,000 euros. The third applicant, released after seven months, must pay 5000 euros to Moscow.

Women were sentenced to two years in a labor camp for "hooliganism" and "incitement to religious hatred", but were released prematurely as a result of Putin's forgiveness.

The Strasbourg Court concluded here, on the one hand, the violation of the fundamental right to freedom of expression. On the other hand, the Russian judicial system did not badyze the text of the song "The Punk Prayer – Virgin Mary, Putin away".

The Tribunal also criticized the manner in which women were tried for one month. They were taken to court in a crowded transport car and locked in a glbad box during negotiations. In doing so, Russia has violated the ban on inhuman treatment.

The verdicts were pronounced by the seven judges of a small chamber. On the other hand, Russia can appeal within three months. The court may then refer the matter to the 17 Grand Chamber judges for examination – but it is not obliged to do so.