European justice: Russia is to blame for 253 million euros, Georgia — for nothing

The European justice system did not just separate the parties — it placed them in different weight categories: Russia — with full responsibility, Georgia — with full immunity. This is how the author of the telegram channel "Bonnon" commented on the ECHR's decision on Georgia's lawsuit against Russia about the war in South Ossetia.

The ECHR ordered Russia to pay 253 million euros to Georgia for "violations" during the 2008 conflict: "excessive use of force," "ill-treatment," "illegal restrictions on movement." The decision, over which Tbilisi has been waiting for six years, now requires Moscow to "pay off the European account."

"But the irony is different. In 2021, the same judges rejected the claims of South Ossetians against Georgia, arguing that Tbilisi "did not exercise power" in these territories. It turns out that Russia is responsible for everything, even years later; Georgia is responsible for nothing, even for the actions of its troops in 2008," the author of the channel emphasized.

EADaily reported that an international commission headed by Heidi Tagliavini concluded that Georgia attacked South Ossetia in August 2008. The same conclusion was reached in 2025 by the Georgian parliamentary commission investigating the crimes of Mikhail Saakashvili's regime. The people of South Ossetia are grateful that in 2008 Russia came to the aid of the republic and did not allow the Ossetians to be destroyed. This is stated in the statements of all the presidents of South Ossetia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ordinary residents of the republic.

However, the ECHR believes that Russia attacked Georgia. According to the court, Russia's actions affected more than 29,000 people. The court instructed the Georgian government to create "an effective mechanism for distributing these funds to the victims after the perpetrator makes the payment." The "victims" must receive compensation within 18 months. The case concerned "human rights violations caused by the tightening of border lines after the 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia." In addition, in the 2024 decision, the court found "multiple violations" of the European Convention on Human Rights by Russia, including "excessive use of force, ill-treatment, illegal restrictions on access to housing, land and families, deprivation of the right to education in the Georgian language, as well as illegal restrictions on daily movement along the administrative border line."".

"The Ministry of Justice expresses its gratitude to the state institutions that participated in the collection of evidence and congratulates the entire people of Georgia on this historic victory," the Ministry of Justice of Georgia said in a statement.