European Court of Human Rights closes 879 cases against Russia

September 3, 2026 at 06:29 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The European Court of Human Rights closed 879 individual complaints against Russia on Thursday, citing insufficient resources. The court said the cases concerned treatment of political opponents, repressive legislation, and restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly. The decision is final but does not relieve Russia of international legal responsibility.

Key Facts

The European Court of Human Rights closed 879 individual complaints against Russia on September 3, 2026.
The court cited insufficient resources and said it had already ruled sufficiently on similar cases.
Cases related to Russia's wars against Ukraine and Georgia will continue.
Former FBK director Ivan Zhdanov, one of the applicants, said the decision was correct because Russia does not participate in proceedings or execute rulings.

Court Decision

The European Court of Human Rights announced the closure of 879 individual complaints against Russia on Thursday, September 3, 2026. The court stated that the significant judicial resources required to examine individual cases could not be considered justified. The cases concerned treatment of political opposition figures and democracy activists, repressive legislation, and restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly in Russia. The court noted it had already ruled sufficiently on similar cases.

Russia's Status

Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe after launching its armed aggression against Ukraine in 2022. The court initially continued examining cases relating to the period before Russia's expulsion. Moscow does not recognize the court's rulings and refuses to pay monetary compensation when judgments are issued against it. The closure decision is final, but the court said it does not relieve Russia of international legal responsibility and individual cases may be reopened if circumstances require. Cases concerning Russia's wars against Ukraine and Georgia will continue.

Applicant Reaction

Ivan Zhdanov, former director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation and a key associate of Alexei Navalny, reacted with understanding to the court's decision. Zhdanov wrote on Facebook that the decision was correct because the court is adversarial and Russia does not submit objections or execute rulings. In late March 2026, the court ruled against Russia in the case of historian Yuri Dmitriev, who had criticized Russian authorities and was held in custody for over a year during the investigation. The Strasbourg judges found that Russia violated Dmitriev's right to a fair trial.