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Russian Central Election Commission head does not consider ECHR to be real court

Russian legislators representing all factions have filed an official request to the Constitution Court (CC), where they want to learn what part of the decisions by ECHR may be applicable in Russia
European Court of Human Rights EPA/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT
European Court of Human Rights
© EPA/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

MOSCOW, June 17. /TASS/. Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Vladimir Churov has said Wednesday he does not consider the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) as a real court.

"We rather share the opinion that ECHR is not a court at all," Churov told TASS, adding that CEC’s commission member Boris Ebseyev, who served as Russia’s Constitution Court Judge, holds the same view.

Russian legislators representing all factions have filed an official request to the Constitution Court (CC), where they want to learn what part of the decisions by ECHR may be applicable in Russia, legislator Alexander Tarnavsky told TASS on Monday.

"Deputies, who have put their signatures under the request, say some final objectives of ECHR certain decisions seem to be weakening limits of the Russian sovereignty, which is based on the supremacy of the Russian Constitution and priority of the CC’s authority for constitutional supervision," the legislator said.

"Thus, we expect the CC would provide us with explanations on the issue as well as would offer its position as to which extent decisions from ECHR could be applicable in the territory of the Russian Federation," he said.

The legislator confirmed the request to the CC is related, among others, to the ECHR’s decision on the so-called ‘YUKOS case’.

"Some time ago, the CC explained the decisions to bring YUKOS to responsibilities under the current legislation and confirmed those decisions complied with the Russian Constitution and legislation," he said. Thus, seemingly doubtful is the recent decision of ECHR "about the compensation of about €32 billion to YUKOS shareholders since, they claimed, the Russian authorities have violated the 6th article of the European Convention, which protects the right to a fair trial, and rather they claimed YUKOS did not have sufficient time to prepare the defense."

"I believe if the Russian Constitution Court explains the regulations for observing or non-observing of the ECHR decisions, related to use of the norms of the Russian Constitution and the decisions of the Constitution Court, then it would be clear whether are binding the ECHR decisions referring to payment of Ђ2 billion to YUKOS shareholders, or whether we are not observing the decision on the basis of the norms regulating this issue," the legislator said.