[JURIST] The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) [official website] on Thursday ruled in favor of the mother of a Chechen man who claimed that Russia failed to investigate the death of her son as required by Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights [PDF text]. Fatima Bazorkina [BBC report] brought a civil suit against the Russian government after she saw television footage in 2000 where a Russian officer ordered the execution of her son. In its judgment [text; press release], the court found that Russia violated Article 2 both in connection with the soldier's disappearance and by failing to sufficient investigate the incident; that Russia violated Article 5 protections of liberty and security through the detention of the soldier; and that Bazorkina had a right to a remedy under Article 13.

The court awarded the plaintiff 35,000 euros in damages and 12,241 euros for costs and expenses. Commentators suggest that Bazorkina's case could set an important precedent for cases involving the treatment of Chechens by Russian soldiers, as 200 similar cases are now before the ECHR. BBC News has more.