CEDH · CASELAW;JUDGMENTS;GRANDCHAMBER;ENG — 21 janvier 2021

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margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify; font-size:10pt } .s3133A7C8 { font-family:Arial; color:#0069d6 } .sC36A6361 { font-family:Arial; color:#000000 } .s2EB42ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt } .s3DB046A9 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic; background-color:#ffffff } .s391E78BA { font-family:Arial; background-color:#ffffff } .sC29E5015 { font-family:Arial; font-size:6.67pt; vertical-align:super; background-color:#ffffff }   GRAND CHAMBER CASE OF GEORGIA v. RUSSIA (II) (Application no. 38263/08)   JUDGMENT (Merits) Art 1 • Jurisdiction of Russia over Abkhazia and South Ossetia • Jurisdiction not established during the active phase of hostilities • Jurisdiction established after their cessation • “Effective control” Art 2 • Art 3 • Art 8 • Art 1 P1 • Administrative practice as regards the killing of civilians and the torching and looting of houses in Georgian villages in South Ossetia and in the “buffer zone” Art 3 • Inhuman and degrading treatment • Art 5 • Administrative practice as regards the conditions of detention of Georgian civilians and the humiliating acts to which they were exposed • Administrative practice as regards their arbitrary detention Art 3 • Administrative practice as regards the acts of torture of which the Georgian prisoners of war were victims Art 2 P4 • Administrative practice as regards the inability of Georgian nationals to return to their respective homes in Abkhazia and South Ossetia Art 2 P1 • Alleged looting and destruction of public schools and libraries and intimidation of ethnic Georgian pupils and teachers • Insufficient evidence Art 2 (procedural) • Procedural obligation to carry out an adequate and effective investigation not only into the events that occurred after the cessation of hostilities but also into the events that occurred during the active phase of the hostilities • Investigations carried out by the Russian authorities neither prompt nor effective nor independent Art 38 • Russian Government’s failure to comply with obligation to furnish all necessary facilities to the Court   This version was rectified on 29 January 2021 under Rule 81 of the Rules of Court   STRASBOURG 21 January 2021 This judgment is final. INDEX PROCEDURE I. INTRODUCTION II. ADMISSIBILITY PROCEDURE BEFORE THE CHAMBER III. PROCEDURE ON THE MERITS BEFORE THE GRAND CHAMBER THE FACTS I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE A.   Overview B.   Chronology of the conflict II. RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW A.   The Hague Regulations of 1907 B.   Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Additional Protocol III. REQUESTS OF THE PARTIES A.   The applicant Government B.   The respondent Government THE LAW I. MAIN ASPECTS OF THE APPLICATION A.   Active phase of hostilities during the five-day war after the intervention by the Russian armed forces (from 8 to 12 August 2008) B.   Occupation phase after the cessation of hostilities (ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008) C.   Treatment of civilian detainees and lawfulness of their detention D.   Treatment of prisoners of war E.   Freedom of movement of displaced persons F.   Right to education G.   Obligation to investigate H.   Effective remedies II. PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT OF THE EVIDENCE AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FACTS A.   Principles of assessment of the evidence B.   Establishment of the facts 1.   Written evidence 2.   Additional documentary evidence 3.   Hearing of witnesses III. PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS A.   Jurisdiction 1.   The parties’ submissions 2.   Third-party comments 3.   The Court’s assessment B.   Relationship between the provisions of the Convention and the rules of international humanitarian law 1.   The parties’ submissions 2.   Third-party comments 3.   The Vienna Convention of 1969 on the Law of Treaties 4.   Case-law of the International Court of Justice 5.   The Court’s assessment C.   Exhaustion of domestic remedies 1.   The parties’ submissions 2.   The Court’s assessment D.   Concept of “administrative practice” IV. ACTIVE PHASE OF HOSTILITIES DURING THE FIVE ‑ DAY WAR (from 8 to 12 August 2008) Jurisdiction 1.   The parties’ submissions 2.   Summary of the relevant evidence 3.   The Court’s assessment V. OCCUPATION PHASE AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES (ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008) A.   Jurisdiction 1.   The parties’ submissions 2.   Summary of the relevant evidence 3.   The Court’s assessment B.   Alleged violation of Articles 2, 3 and 8 of the Convention and of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 1.   The parties’ submissions 2.   Third-party comments 3.   Summary of the relevant evidence 4.   Relevant provisions of international humanitarian law 5.   The Court’s assessment VI. TREATMENT OF CIVILIAN DETAINEES AND LAWFULNESS OF THEIR DETENTION A.   The parties’ submissions B.   Third-party comments C.   Summary of the relevant evidence 1.   Written evidence 2.   Hearing of witnesses D.   Relevant provisions of international humanitarian law E.   The Court’s assessment 1.   Jurisdiction 2.   Alleged violation of Articles 3 and 5 of the Convention VII. TREATMENT OF PRISONERS OF WAR A.   The parties’ submissions B.   Summary of the relevant evidence 1.   Written evidence 2.   Hearing of witnesses C.   Relevant provisions of international humanitarian law D.   The Court’s assessment 1.   Jurisdiction 2.   Alleged violation of Article 3 of the Convention VIII. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF DISPLACED PERSONS A.   The parties’ submissions B.   Third-party comments C.   Summary of the relevant evidence 1.   Written evidence 2.   Hearing of witnesses D.   Relevant provisions of international humanitarian law E.   The Court’s assessment 1.   Jurisdiction 2.   Alleged violation of Article 2 of Protocol No. 4 IX. RIGHT TO EDUCATION A.   The parties’ submissions B.   Third-party comments C.   Summary of the relevant evidence 1.   Written evidence 2.   Hearing of witnesses D.   Relevant provisions of international humanitarian law E.   The Court’s assessment 1.   Jurisdiction 2.   Alleged violation of Article 2 of Protocol No. 1 X. OBLIGATION TO INVESTIGATE A.   The parties’ submissions B.   Third-party comments C.   Summary of the relevant evidence D.   Relevant provisions of international humanitarian law E.   The Court’s assessment 1.   General principles 2.   Application of the above principles to the facts of the case XI. EFFECTIVE REMEDIES XII. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 38 OF THE CONVENTION XIII. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT CONCURRING OPINION OF JUDGE KELLER PARTLY CONCURRING OPINION OF JUDGE SERGHIDES PARTLY DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGE LEMMENS PARTLY DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGE GROZEV JOINT PARTLY DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGES YUDKIVSKA, PINTO DE ALBUQUERQUE AND CHANTURIA JOINT PARTLY DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGES YUDKIVSKA, WOJTYCZEK AND CHANTURIA PARTLY DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGE PINTO DE ALBUQUERQUE PARTLY DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGE DEDOV PARTLY DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGE CHANTURIA ANNEX   In the case of Georgia v. Russia (II), The European Court of Human Rights, sitting as a Grand Chamber composed of:   Robert Spano, President ,   Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos,   Jon Fridrik Kjølbro,   Paul Lemmens,   Yonko Grozev,   Helena Jäderblom,   Vincent A. De Gaetano,   Ganna Yudkivska,   Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque,   Helen Keller,   Krzysztof Wojtyczek,   Dmitry Dedov,   Armen Harutyunyan,   Gabriele Kucsko-Stadlmayer,   Georgios A. Serghides,   Tim Eicke,   Lado Chanturia, judges , and Johan Callewaert, Deputy Grand Chamber Registrar , Having deliberated in private on 23 and 24 May 2018, 23 October 2019 and 2 July 2020, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on the last ‑ mentioned date: PROCEDURE INTRODUCTION 1.     The case originated in an application (no. 38263/08) against the Russian Federation lodged with the Court under Article 33 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by Georgia on 11 August 2008. It was accompanied by a request for the application of Rule 39 of the Rules of Court (interim measures) against the Russian Federation. 2.     The Georgian Government (“the applicant Government”) were represented before the Court by their Agent, Mr Beka Dzamashvili. They had previously been represented successively by their former Agents: Mr   David Tomadze and Mr Levan Meskhoradze. 3.     The Russian Government (“the respondent Government”) were represented by their Representative, Mr Mikhail Galperin. They had previously been represented by their former Representative, Mr Georgy Matyushkin. 4.     The application was allocated to the Fifth Section of the Court (Rule   51 § 1). 5.     On 12 August 2008 the President of the Court, acting as President of Chamber, decided to apply Rule 39, calling upon both the High Contracting Parties concerned to honour their commitments under the Convention, particularly in respect of Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention. 6.     The application of Rule 39 was extended several times. 7.     On 6 February 2009 the Agent of the applicant Government lodged the formal application and annexes with the Registrar of the Court. 8. The applicant Government alleged that – through indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks against civilians and their property on the territory of Georgia by the Russian army and/or the separatist forces placed under their control – the Russian Federation had permitted or caused to exist an administrative practice, resulting in a violation of Articles 2, 3, 5, 8 and 13 of the Convention, Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol No. 1, and Article 2 of Protocol No. 4. They alleged, further, that despite the indication of interim measures the Russian Federation continued to violate its obligations under the Convention and, in particular, was in continuous breach of Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention. ADMISSIBILITY PROCEDURE BEFORE THE CHAMBER 9.     On 27 March 2009 the President of the Chamber decided to give notice of the application to the respondent Government, inviting them to submit observations on the admissibility of the complaints. After an extension of the time-limit for doing so, the respondent Government filed their observations on 7 October 2009. 10.     On 9 October 2009 the applicant Government were invited to submit their observations in reply. After the time-limit for doing so had been extended, they filed their observations on 10 March 2010. The annexes were received on 22 March 2010. 11.     On 6 September 2010 the President of the Chamber invited the respondent Government to indicate to the Court whether they wished to submit observations in reply. On 12 November 2010 the respondent Government replied that they wished to reserve the possibility of submitting observations at a later date if this were to become necessary in the interests of international justice. 12.     The Court considered the state of the procedure on 25 January 2011 and decided to obtain the oral observations of the parties on the admissibility of the application. It set the date of the hearing for 16 June 2011 and also invited the parties to reply in writing to a list of questions before the date of the hearing. 13.     At the request of the applicant Government, the Court decided on 3   May 2011 to adjourn the date of the hearing on admissibility and that of the submission by the parties of their written observations regarding the questions put by the Court. 14.     On 13 and 15 June 2011 the parties filed their observations. 15.     On 13 December 2011, following a hearing on admissibility questions (Rule 51 § 5) held on 22 September 2011, a Chamber of that Section composed of the following judges: Peer Lorenzen, President, Karel Jungwiert, Anatoly Kovler, Isabelle Berro-Lefèvre, Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska, Nona Tsotsoria, Zdravka Kalaydjieva, and also of Claudia Westerdiek, Section Registrar, declared the application admissible.   The Chamber also joined to the merits the objections of incompatibility ratione loci and ratione materiae of the application with the provisions of the Convention and the objection of failure to exhaust domestic remedies. PROCEDURE ON THE MERITS BEFORE THE GRAND CHAMBER 16.     On 3 April 2012 the Chamber relinquished jurisdiction in favour of the Grand Chamber, none of the parties having objected to relinquishment (Article 30 of the Convention and Rule 72). 17.     The composition of the Grand Chamber was determined in accordance with the provisions of Article 26 §§ 4 and 5 of the Convention and Rule 24. 18.     On 10 October 2013 the President of the Grand Chamber invited the parties to file their observations on the merits of the case in reply to the written questions of the Court. After a number of extensions of the time ‑ limits fixed for that purpose, the parties submitted their observations, together with annexes, on 30 December 2014 and 5 March 2015 respectively. 19.     In addition, third-party comments were received from the Human Rights Centre, University of Essex, which had been given leave by the President to intervene in the written procedure (Article 36 § 2 of the Convention and Rule 44 § 3). 20.     On 29 June 2015 the Court decided to hear further evidence orally, in accordance with Article 38 of the Convention and Rule A1 of the Annex to the Rules of Court. It appointed a delegation of seven judges of the Grand Chamber, composed of Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska, Nona Tsotsoria, Vincent A. De Gaetano, Helen Keller, Dmitry Dedov, Jon Fridrik Kjølbro and Yonko Grozev. 21.     On 8 October 2015 the President invited each party to submit a list of witnesses (a maximum of twenty) whom they wished the delegation of judges to hear. He also invited additional witnesses chosen by the Court. After several extensions of the time-limit fixed for that purpose, the applicant Government submitted their list of witnesses on 19 February 2016 and the respondent Government submitted theirs on 19 February and 15   March 2016. 22 .     On 8 October 2015 the President also invited the parties to submit their observations in reply to the additional written questions of the Court. The questions related in particular to the alleged Russian military operations in the villages of Eredvi, Karbi and Tortiza and the town of Gori in August 2008, which the Court had identified at an earlier stage with a view to examining them as “representative incidents” in relation to the alleged violations. After an extension of the time-limit fixed for that purpose, the parties submitted their observations, together with annexes, on 19 February and 31 March 2016 respectively. 23.     Between 6 and 17 June 2016 the delegation of judges of the Grand Chamber heard witnesses and experts in camera in the presence of the parties’ representatives at the Human Rights Building in Strasbourg. 24 .     The delegation heard thirty-three witnesses in total: fifteen had been called by the Government of Georgia, twelve by the Government of the Russian Federation and six directly by the Court. 25.     A list of the witnesses and experts who appeared before the delegation and a summary of their statements are annexed to this judgment. A confidential verbatim record of the statements they gave to the delegation has also been drawn up by the Court Registry and included in the case file. 26.     On 30 September 2016 the President invited the parties to file additional observations on the evidence produced at the witness hearing and the verbatim record of the witnesses’ oral evidence that had been sent to them beforehand (Rule 58 § 1 and Rule A8 § 3 of the Annex to the Rules of Court). After an extension of the time-limit fixed for that purpose, the parties’ observations, together with annexes, reached the Court on 31   January, and on 3, 6 and 8 February 2017. Supplementary observations of the parties, in reply to their respective prior observations, together with annexes, were received on 24 November 2017. 27.     On 3 March 2017 the President decided to obtain the parties’ oral submissions on the merits of the case. He scheduled the date of the hearing for 27 September 2017. On 17 May 2017 he decided to adjourn the hearing to 23 May 2018. 28.     On 27 April 2018, notwithstanding a request from the applicant Government to that effect, the President decided that it was not appropriate to adjourn further the date of the hearing. 29 .     A hearing on the merits of the case took place in public in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 23 May 2018 (Rule 58 § 2). There appeared before the Court: (a)     for the applicant Government Mr   G. Lordkipanidze , Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr   B. Dzamashvili ,   Agent , Mr   B. Emmerson, QC, Mr   R. Dixon , QC,   Counsel ; Ms   T. Rostiashvili , Ms   M. Bilikhodze ,   Ms   N. Tchanturidze , Mr   G. Nakashidze ,   Advisers. (b)     for the respondent Government Mr   M. Galperin , Deputy Minister of Justice,   Representative, Mr   M. Swainston, QC , Mr   P. Wright, Mr   R. Blakeley , Mr   E. Harrison , Mr   K. Ivanyan, Mr   V. Torkanovskiy, Ms   V. Podyukova ,   Counsel; Ms   Y. Borisova , Mr   P. Smirnov , Mr   A. Gorshkov , Mr   S. Shkodenko ,   Advisers.   The Court heard addresses by Mr Emmerson, Mr Galperin and Mr   Swainston. THE FACTS THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE 30.     The present application was lodged in the context of the armed conflict that occurred between Georgia and the Russian Federation in August 2008 following an extended period of ever-mounting tensions, provocations and incidents between the two countries. 31.     The facts of the case may be summarised as follows [1] . Overview 32 .     In its report of September 2009 the Independent International Fact ‑ Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia [2] (IIFFMCG – hereafter “the EU Fact-Finding Mission”), established by a decision of 2 December 2008 of the Council of the European Union, described the armed conflict in the following terms (p. 5): “On the night of 7 to 8 August 2008, after an extended period of ever-mounting tensions and incidents, heavy fighting erupted in and around the town of Tskhinvali in South Ossetia. The fighting, which soon extended to other parts of Georgia, lasted for five days. In many places throughout the country it caused serious destruction, reaching levels of utter devastation in a number of towns and villages. Human losses were substantial. At the end, the Georgian side claimed losses of 170 servicemen, 14   policemen and 228 civilians killed and 1 747 persons wounded. The Russian side claimed losses of 67 servicemen killed and 283 wounded. The South Ossetians spoke of 365 persons killed, which probably included both servicemen and civilians. Altogether about 850 persons lost their lives, not to mention those who were wounded, who went missing, or the far more than 100 000 civilians who fled their homes. Around 35,000 still have not been able to return to their homes. The fighting did not end the political conflict nor were any of the issues that lay beneath it resolved. Tensions still continue. The political situation after the end of fighting turned out to be no easier and in some respects even more difficult than before.” 33.     The EU Fact-Finding Mission also summarised the course of the events in question as follows (pp. 10-11): “On the night of 7 to 8 August 2008, a sustained Georgian artillery attack struck the town of Tskhinvali. Other movements of the Georgian armed forces targeting Tskhinvali and the surrounding areas were under way, and soon the fighting involved Russian, South Ossetian and Abkhaz military units and armed elements. It did not take long, however, before the Georgian advance into South Ossetia was stopped. In a counter-movement, Russian armed forces, covered by air strikes and by elements of its Black Sea fleet, penetrated deep into Georgia, cutting across the country’s main east-west road, reaching the port of Poti and stopping short of Georgia’s capital city, Tbilisi. The confrontation developed into a combined inter-state and intra-state conflict, opposing Georgian and Russian forces at one level of confrontation as well as South Ossetians together with Abkhaz fighters and the Georgians at another. Such a combination of conflicts going on at different levels is particularly prone to violations of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law. This is indeed what happened, and many of these instances were due to the action of irregular armed groups on the South Ossetian side that would not or could not be adequately controlled by regular Russian armed forces. Then another theatre of hostility opened on the western flank, where Abkhaz forces supported by Russian forces took the upper Kodori Valley, meeting with little Georgian resistance. After five days of fighting, a ceasefire agreement was negotiated on 12 August 2008 between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the latter acting on behalf of the European Union. An implementation agreement followed on 8 September 2008, again largely due to the persistent efforts of the French President.” Chronology of the conflict 34.     In the light of all the material in the Court’s possession, the chronology of the conflict may be summarised as follows. 35.     In the night of 7 to 8 August 2008, after an extended period of ever ‑ mounting tensions and incidents, Georgian artillery attacked Tskhinvali (administrative capital of South Ossetia [3] ). 36.     From 8 August 2008 Russian ground forces penetrated into Georgia by crossing through Abkhazia and South Ossetia before penetrating into the neighbouring regions in undisputed Georgian territory. They were assisted by the Russian air force and the Black Sea fleet. 37.     Armed fighting essentially took place in the area of Tskhinvali in South Ossetia, and in the area of Gori, situated in the “buffer zone” in undisputed Georgian territory, to the south of South Ossetia. 38.     From 10 August 2008, the Georgian armed forces withdrew from the Tskhinvali region and then from the Gori district. 39.     The Russian armed forces progressively invaded the following Georgian territories: (i)     all of Abkhazia, including Upper Abkhazia (upper Kodori Valley), formerly under Georgian control; (ii)     all of South Ossetia, including the Akhalgori district, formerly under Georgian control; that district was occupied from 16 August 2008; (iii)     the village of Perevi (Sachkhere district), situated in undisputed Georgian territory, to the west of South Ossetia; (iv)     the “buffer zone”, including the zones bordering South Ossetia and Abkhazia, situated in undisputed Georgian territory, after the Russian armed forces had withdrawn from the town of Gori on 22 August 2008. 40.     A ceasefire agreement was concluded on 12 August 2008 between the Russian Federation and Georgia under the auspices of the European Union, providing, inter alia , that the parties would refrain from the use of force; immediately end hostilities; provide access for humanitarian aid; and that Georgian military forces would withdraw to their usual bases and Russian military forces to the lines prior to the outbreak of hostilities. 41.     By a decree of 26 August 2008 the Russian President, Dmitry   Medvedev, recognised South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent States following a unanimous vote of the Russian Federal Assembly to that end. That recognition was not followed by the international community. 42.     Owing to the delay by the Russian Federation in applying that agreement, a new agreement implementing the ceasefire agreement (Sarkozy-Medvedev agreement) was signed on 8 September 2008. It provided, inter alia , that the Russian Federation would withdraw its troops from the zones bordering Abkhazia and South Ossetia within 10 days of deployment of the EU observation mission on 1 October 2008. 43.     On 17 September 2008 Russia signed “friendship and cooperation” agreements with South Ossetia and Abkhazia in respect of a number of areas. Those agreements provided for the establishment of military bases and the stationing of up to 3,800 Russian soldiers in each of those two regions. The two agreements were unanimously ratified by the State Duma on 29 October 2008 and by the Federation Council on 11 November 2008. 44.     On 10 October 2008 Russia completed the withdrawal of its troops stationed in the “buffer zone”, except for the village of Perevi (Sachkhere district), situated in undisputed Georgian territory, from which the Russian troops did not withdraw until 18 October 2010. RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW [4] The Hague Regulations of 1907 45.     The Hague Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land of 18 October 1907 [5] contain, inter alia , relevant provisions in situations of occupation. Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Additional Protocol 46.     The Conventions and Additional Protocol relevant to the present case are the following: (i)     the First Geneva Convention – Convention (I) – for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field (adopted in 1864 and revised in 1906, 1929 and 1949) [6] ; (ii)     the Third Geneva Convention – Convention (III) – relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (adopted in 1929 and revised in 1949) [7] ; (iii)     the Fourth Geneva Convention – Convention (IV) – relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 [8] ; and (iv)     the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions – Protocol (I) – relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts, adopted on 8 June 1977 [9] . 47.     Article 1 of each of these Conventions requires the Contracting Parties to “undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances”. REQUESTS OF THE PARTIES The applicant Government 48 .     The applicant Government submitted that on the basis of the available evidence: “a.     The violations of the Convention fall within the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation under Article 1 of the Convention because it exercised effective authority and control over the relevant areas where the violations took place and/or exercised jurisdiction through state agent authority and control. b.     The violations form part of a repetitive pattern of acts and omissions that amount to an administrative practice incompatible with the Convention, which have been perpetrated by Russian authorities or the subject of official tolerance by Russian authorities and that in any event, no effective remedies exist having regard to the approach adopted by the Russian authorities to investigation of the violations at issue. c.     Russia has violated Articles 2, 3, 5, 8 and 13 of the Convention, Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol 1 to the Convention and Article 2 of Protocol 4 to the Convention and has failed to carry out investigations into the incidents forming the basis of these violations.” Having regard to the evidence relied upon, the applicant Government asked the Court to acknowledge that Russia had infringed the above ‑ mentioned provisions and had failed to carry out an investigation into the incidents giving rise to those infringements. The applicant Government also sought “just satisfaction for these violations, including Convention compliant investigations, remedial measures and compensation to the injured parties”. The respondent Government 49.     The respondent Government challenged Georgia’s application for the following reasons: “1.     Georgia’s allegations relate to alleged events that took place outside the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and outside Russia’s effective control. Accordingly, Georgia’s complaints, aside from being specious and contrived, relate to matters outside the jurisdiction of the Court. 2.     Georgia’s case relates substantially to alleged conduct of Russian armed forces in an armed conflict and the immediate aftermath of an armed conflict which Georgia started by its attack upon South Ossetia and Russian peacekeepers and nationals in South Ossetia. 3.     Russia’s military response was legitimate under public international law and IHL [international humanitarian law]. In the international armed conflict that resulted, Russia’s obligations were defined and governed exclusively by IHL, and the Court has no jurisdiction over the relevant questions of Russia’s compliance with IHL. Without prejudice to that position, Russia complied fully with IHL. 4.     Georgia’s allegations of human rights abuses and Russian responsibility for them are false on the facts and lack evidential support. The limited evidence that has been put before the Court by Georgia is not a proper basis for the serious charges levelled against Russian forces. ... 5.     To the extent that Georgians were injured or their property damaged outside areas of active conflict (and Georgia vastly exaggerates the instances), the perpetrators appear to have been South Ossetians including rogue militia members, disaffected South Ossetian civilians and criminals. ... 6.     As regards Georgia’s complaints of inconvenience to Georgian nationals from the maintenance of border controls, those controls are the exclusive responsibility of the South Ossetian and Abkhazian governments. ... 7.     Georgian nationals have remedies in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. They also have capacity to bring cases in Russia. However, Georgia has failed consistently to engage with or provide assistance to criminal investigations in South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Russia.” The primary submission of the respondent Government was that the Court should reject Georgia’s application because “(1)     It is premised on Russia having effective control over areas of conflict and subsequent civil disorder, where it should be apparent even at this stage that Russia did not have effective control; (2)     It is premised upon alleged breaches of Convention law where IHL, exclusively, applied. If the Court is minded to go yet further, the Russian Federation respectfully submits that it will be necessary for the Court to make arrangements to receive evidence and for the evidence to be appropriately tested, including by cross-examination. It will also be necessary to take into account evidence from individual applications which bears on the facts in dispute.” In view of the foregoing, while reconfirming its objections on jurisdiction and admissibility in the present case, the respondent Government alternatively respectfully requested that the application be “dismissed on the merits in full”. THE LAW MAIN ASPECTS OF THE APPLICATION 50 .     The Court notes that the present application contains the following main aspects. Active phase of hostilities during the five-day war after the intervention by the Russian armed forces [10] (from 8 to 12 August 2008) 51 .     Alleged attacks (bombing, shelling, artillery fire) by the Russian armed forces and/or South Ossetian forces, starting on 8 August 2008 and ending on 12 August 2008 – complaints under Article 2 of the Convention. Occupation phase after the cessation of hostilities (ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008) 52.     Allegations of killings, ill-treatment, looting and burning of homes by the Russian armed forces and South Ossetian forces in South Ossetia and in the adjacent “buffer zone”, occurring in particular in the period after 12   August 2008 – complaints under Articles 2, 3 and 8 of the Convention, and under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. Treatment of civilian detainees and lawfulness of their detention 53.     Alleged illegal detention in dire conditions of some 160 civilians (mostly women and elderly people) for approximately fifteen days (they were all released on 27 August 2008) by South Ossetian forces; some of them were also allegedly ill-treated – complaints under Articles 3 and 5 of the Convention. Treatment of prisoners of war 54.     Alleged ill-treatment and torture of more than thirty prisoners of war by Russian and South Ossetian forces in August 2008 – complaints under Article 3 of the Convention. Freedom of movement of displaced persons 55 .     Alleged prevention by the Russian Federation and the de facto authorities of Abkhazia a