ECtHR’s ruling in “Memorial” * case to be executed, a lawyer says

Prior to a hearing of the Supreme Court of Russia on the case of the “International Memorial” * (International Historical Educational Charitable and Human Rights Society “Memorial”), lawyer Kirill Koroteev has noted that the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case on the closure of the “International Memorial” * must be executed by the Russia’s authorities even after the exclusion of the country from the Council of Europe (CE).

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on February 28, the Board of Appeal of the Supreme Court (SC) of Russia upheld the decision of the first instance court on the liquidation of the “International Memorial” *, and the court’s decision entered into force. The heads of the “International Memorial” * began the procedure for the liquidation of the NGO, but requested the Supreme Court to postpone the execution of the decision until the verdict of the ECtHR on the complaint about the law on foreign agents.

The decision of the ECtHR in the case on the closure of the “International Memorial” * must be executed by the Russia’s authorities even after the exclusion of the country from the Council of Europe, says lawyer Kirill Koroteev, Professor at the Université Paris X – Nanterre.

“The complaint was filed before the exclusion of Russia from the Council of Europe. Therefore, for all complaints filed before the exclusion, Russia is obliged to comply with the decisions of the European Court in the same way as if it were a member of the Council of Europe ... Both cases were considered by the Russian court in December, when the Russian Federation was a member of the Council of Europe,” Kirill Koroteev said.

Let us remind you that on March 16, the European Court of Human Rights suspended the consideration of complaints from Russia in connection with the Russia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe.

* The organization is included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the register of NCOs performing the functions of a foreign agent.