ECHR prohibits Russia from deporting refugee after FSB killed her husband in Crimea
28.05.2021
The European Court of Human Rights has halted Russia’s planned deportation of
Sokhiba Burkhanova, who has been in Russian custody since the FSB killed her refugee husband,
Nabi Rakhimov in occupied Crimea on 11 May. This is the only good news, since Russia is refusing to return Rakhimov’s body to the family, essentially confirming the suspicion that the FSB tortured him to death and then staged a ‘shootout’. .
ECHR has applied Rule 39, meaning that any deportation is halted, pending the Court’s consideration of Burkhanova’s application. According to Darya Trenina, the lawyer representing Burkhanova in Strasbourg, the application has yet to be lodged, and, given the Court’s workload, it could take a long time to consider. Despite Russia’s usual disregard for international law, it does usually comply with Rule 39 stays of procedure.