Court rules Russia ‘failed’ to prevent school carnage

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA

The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that Russia failed to take "preventive" measures while responding to the 2004 Beslan hostage crisis.

"The court found several violations of the right to life on account of serious failings in the Russian authorities’ handling of the Beslan hostage crisis," it said in a statement.

Around 330 hostages were killed when Chechen militants captured more than 1,000, mostly children, at a school in Beslan, North Ossetia, in September 2004.

Although Russian authorities had "sufficiently specific" information of a planned terror attack, "not enough" was done to disrupt the terrorists, the court said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the ruling as "unacceptable", according to TASS news agency. The Russian Justice Ministry said it would appeal the ruling.

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA

The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that Russia failed to take "preventive" measures while responding to the 2004 Beslan hostage crisis.

"The court found several violations of the right to life on account of serious failings in the Russian authorities’ handling of the Beslan hostage crisis," it said in a statement.

Around 330 hostages were killed when Chechen militants captured more than 1,000, mostly children, at a school in Beslan, North Ossetia, in September 2004.

Although Russian authorities had "sufficiently specific" information of a planned terror attack, "not enough" was done to disrupt the terrorists, the court said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the ruling as "unacceptable", according to TASS news agency. The Russian Justice Ministry said it would appeal the ruling.