Russia Refuses to Comply With ECHR Ruling Ordering €253 Million Payment to Georgia

Russia will not implement the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which ordered Moscow to pay more than €253 million to Georgia in connection with the August 2008 war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RBC.

“We will not comply with the decision,”

Peskov said firmly, reiterating that Moscow no longer recognizes the authority of the ECHR.

Russia No Longer Under ECHR Jurisdiction

Moscow withdrew from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights in 2022, following its exit from the Council of Europe. That same year, a law was passed allowing Russia to ignore rulings from the court after ceasing to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights.

ECHR Decision and Its Context

According to Euractiv, the ECHR ruled in favor of Georgia, ordering Russia to pay €253 million in compensation for alleged human rights violations following the 2008 conflict. The case, filed in 2018, accused Russia of “excessive use of force, mistreatment, unlawful detention, and restrictions on freedom of movement” across administrative borders between Georgian-controlled territories.

The court also concluded that the establishment of separation lines between Abkhazia and South Ossetia since 2009 had affected the rights of approximately 29,000 people, many of whom were cut off from their families, homes, and farmland. Judges said this represented violations of the right to family life, home privacy, and property protection.

Selective Rulings and War Background

In contrast, in October 2021, the ECHR dismissed complaints from residents of South Ossetia who had accused Georgian forces of human rights abuses, including mass rocket attacks and violence in Tskhinvali. The court argued that Georgia had been unable to exercise effective control in those areas and that incidents there could not be considered under Georgian jurisdiction, even if the territory was formally part of Georgia.

In August 2025, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze referred to the “deep state” as the alleged instigator of the 2008 war with Russia and suggested asking U.S. President Donald Trump what that term truly means.

The five-day war between Russia and Georgia began on August 8, 2008, when then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced a peace enforcement operation in response to Georgian military actions in South Ossetia.