The ECHR ordered the Russian Federation to pay 46,000 euro to relatives of murdered journalists

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) awarded 46,000 euros in compensation to the relatives of the founder of the Chernovyk newspaper, Khadzhimurad Kamalov, and the deputy editor-in-chief of Novoye Dela, Akhmednaba Akhmednabiyev, who were killed in Dagestan in 2011 and 2013. Mediazona drew attention to the decision published on the court’s website.

According to the conclusions of the ECHR, the Russian authorities violated the article on the right to life of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Russian authorities did not protect the lives of the applicants’ relatives by not conducting a proper investigation of the threats to Akhmednabiev and Kamalov, the court noted.

Kamalov was shot dead in December 2011 in Makhachkala in front of the Chernovyka editorial office. Investigation of cases on charges of murder and illegal possession of weapons continued for almost nine years. As a result, the court began to consider the case against the three executors and the customer – the former vice-premier of Dagestan Shamil Isaev. In July 2022, they were sentenced to 16 to 24 years in prison.

Akhmednabiyev was killed in July 2013. The first attempt was made on a journalist in January 2013, but no criminal case was initiated then. Those who shot Akhmednabiyev hit his car. The investigation qualified the attack on charges of property damage and illegal use of firearms. After the murder of the journalist, a criminal case was initiated under several articles, but since 2018, there is no information about the progress of the investigation.

• Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe on March 16, 2022, due to the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. In response, Moscow decided not to implement the decisions of the ECHR issued after this date. The corresponding law was signed by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin in the summer of 2022.