The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) [official website] on Thursday unanimously held [decision] that Russia violated European human rights laws when it raided a terrorist-held school in the Russian town of Beslan in 2004, leading to the death of more than 330 civilian hostages. More than 180 children were killed in the attack. Russia contended in the suit that it should not be blamed for the admittedly tragic results, arguing the burden of compensation should not be placed on governments that react to terrorist attacks. The court held that Russia’s authorities had specific information linked to a planned attack in the area, and failed to take reasonable preventive measures to protect schools. Further, authorities refused to give families [press release] of the victims access to important information after the tragedy. The court ordered Russia to pay nearly €3 million to the families of the victims.

Russia’s human rights record has been troubling to international rights groups for some time. In February the ECHR ordered [JURIST report] Russia to pay more than €63,000 to Alexander Navalny [official website], a political opposition leader, for multiple arrests that infringed his right to peaceful assembly. In January the US sanctioned [JURIST report] five Russian officials for human rights abuses stemming from the suspicious death of a Russian lawyer. Russia’s response to terrorism attacks has also been troubling. In June 2016 the Russian Parliament passed [JURIST report] a series of anti-terrorism laws that severely curtail certain religious activities and create fines for those who refuse to allow law enforcement officials to read private messages.