Russia will appeal against the decision pronounced by the European Court of Human Rights to award 3 million euros to the relatives of victims of the Beslan hostage crisis, the Russian Justice Ministry said.
The ministry said that the decision has not taken effect yet and will be appealed against within the three-month deadline established by the Convention.
The Justice Ministry argues that "a number of ECHR conclusions are groundless and the arguments used, not very convincing and in conflict with the evidence provided by the Russian authorities.
The Russian Justice Ministry believes that the ECHR’s interpretation of the circumstances in which the operation to free the hostages had to be planned was not serious enough. The judges displayed obvious misunderstanding of the seriousness of the situation in Beslan following the seizure of hostages and the specifics and risks the operation to free the hostages involved, TASS reported.
The Justice Ministry dismissed as "absolutely groundless" the ECHR claims law enforcers used indiscriminate firearms and heavy weapons while the hostages remained in the school building.
