European Court Drops 879 Russian Complaints Amid Institutional Crisis

Europe’s human rights court drops 879 Russian complaints. Lawyers call the unprecedented decision a sign of institutional crisis.

In early September, the European Court of Human Rights said it would not examine 879 complaints from Russians filed between September 2007 and September 2024. In its July 7 decision, the court cited its authority to strike cases from its list when continuing to examine them would be “no longer justified.” Because its resources are limited, the court said it wanted to focus on cases of “greatest significance.” The Council of Europe expelled Russia on March 16, 2022. Russia remains obligated to...