Map of ChechnyaThe European Court of Human Rights ordered Russia to pay very modest compensation to the families of 11 Chechen civilians killed by Russian soldiers. The victims were killed in 2001 in Novye Aldi, Chechnya, where Russian soldiers are accused of murdering more than 60 innocent civilians. The soldiers were accused of summary executions and of burning dozens of occupied houses down.

The Court found that Russian authorities had failed to investigate the murders. “In the Court’s view, the astonishing ineffectiveness of the prosecuting authorities in this case could only be qualified as acquiescence in the events.”

The Court’s press release is available here: Musayev and Others v. Russia.