The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg has struck out 879 remaining applications against Russia involving more than 1,500 individuals and organisations. The Memorial Human Rights Centre described the decision as “unprecedented in the practice of the [ECHR], and indeed in the history of international justice as a whole”.

A three-day vigil in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack on School No. 1 ended in Beslan on Wednesday. The commemorations began on September 1, the anniversary of the school siege, and concluded on September 3, marking the anniversary of the operation to free the hostages. The main events were held at the former school building and at the City of Angels memorial cemetery. At 1:05 p.m. — the time when the first explosions tore through the school’s gymnasium 22 years ago — a minute of silence was observed.

Seventeen years ago, on Aug. 10, 2009, Chechen human rights defender Zarema Sadulayeva and her husband, Alik Dzhabrailov, were abducted from the office of their charity in Grozny. Their bodies were found the following day, in what remains one of the most prominent unsolved killings of civil society activists in Chechnya.

Today marks 18 years since the start of the armed conflict between Russia and Georgia, known as the Five-Day War. It was on this day that Russia invaded Georgian territory, marking the beginning of hostilities between the two countries.

Operation "Jihad" began at dawn on August 6, 1996. A force of just 887 fighters from the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria entered Grozny, facing a Russian military contingent numbering in the thousands. Learn more about the course of the operation and its aftermath in our video report.

On December 31, 1994, on New Year's Eve, Russian troops launched an assault on Grozny. As part of the so-called "operation to restore constitutional order," the Russian command hoped to quickly capture the city, but they encountered a resounding failure. The Chechen resistance engaged in fierce fighting, and the Russian army suffered significant losses. Learn more in our video report.

20 years ago, Russian troops committed mass murder of civilians in the Chechen village of Novye Aldy, a suburb of Grozny. During the “cleansing” operation, OMON from St. Petersburg and other units looted, set houses on fire, and brutally murdered unarmed Chechens. On February 5, 2000, at least 56 people, including women, children, and the elderly, fell victim to the crimes. Read more about this tragedy in our video.

The Supreme Court of Karachay-Cherkessia recognized the actions of the fascists in the region during the Great Patriotic War as genocide. The resolution states that during the occupation, crimes were committed against at least 7,500 civilians and prisoners of war.