The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Tuesday that Russia must pay Georgia over 250 million euros (approximately $289,000) due to violations that occurred following the brief conflict between the two nations in August 2008.

The ECHR accused Russia of obstructing individuals from freely accessing the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are Georgian territories that Moscow recognized as independent after the Russo-Georgian War.

The court determined that Russia had committed multiple infringements, including excessive force, mistreatment, unlawful detention, and illegitimate restrictions on daily movements across the administrative boundary between Georgian-controlled areas and the breakaway regions. As a result, it mandated that Russia compensate nearly 30,000 victims.

The ECHR is part of the Council of Europe, the leading human rights institution on the continent, from which Russia was expelled shortly after its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, the court asserts that Moscow remains accountable for the violations that occurred while it was still a member.

According to the ECHR, it will be the responsibility of the Georgian government to create an “effective mechanism” for distributing compensation to the individual victims within 18 months of Russia making the payment. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that Moscow will comply, as it has a history of disregarding ECHR decisions, even during its membership.

Georgian officials report that there have been fatalities among those attempting to enter or exit Abkhazia and South Ossetia, with others being detained for “illegally crossing” the administrative boundary line.

This report includes contributions from AFP.