The European Court of Human Rights [ECHR] found Russia responsible for the murder of Giga Otkhozoria, a 30-year-old Georgian citizen who was killed by a Russian-controlled “border guard” near occupied Abkhazia in 2016.

According to the ECHR, there was a breach of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which safeguards the right to life, while also identifying a violation of Article 38, as Russia had failed to submit pertinent materials related to the criminal case.

“The Court decided that the applicants must have suffered non‑pecuniary damage that cannot be compensated for solely by the finding of a violation. Ruling on an equitable basis, and taking into consideration its findings of both substantive and procedural breaches of Article 2 of the Convention, the Court awards the applicants jointly EUR 130,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage caused, plus any tax that may be chargeable”, - reads the decision of the European Court of Human Rights.

Responding to the ruling with the press, Julieta Chanturia, Otkhozoria’s mother, hailed the day as a “celebration of justice”, and stressed “It is now unmistakably clear that Russians are principally responsible for the inhumane end for my son”.

Otkhozoria was killed on May 19, 2016 in the village of Khurcha, during an attempt to transport food into the territory for a funeral ceremony for his late aunt.