Date: 28 February 2012
Court: European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg
Citation: [2012] ECtHR 338 (Application No. 17423/05)
Short summary
Six Russian applicants brought a case before the European Court of Human Rights because their government failed to protect their property and possessions from a dangerous flood. The Court held that Russia violated these applicants’ rights under the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to take preventative measures and warn them of the risk of flooding.
Summary by: Yusuf Lahham
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Weight of decision
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) applies the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and all Contracting States are bound by its judgments. As this case originated in an application against the Russian Federation, a then Contracting State to the ECHR, the judgment had the weight of directly applicable constitutional law in Russia. ECtHR decisions are also relevant to other States as they are viewed as a ‘living interpretation’ of the ECHR.
Key facts
The applicants, six Russian nationals, brought complaints to the ECtHR between the 21st of April and the 2nd of September 2005, relying on Articles 2, 8, and 13 of the ECHR and Article 1 of Protocol 1. The applicants live near the city of Vladivostok, in an area near the Pionerskaya river and water reservoir, which was heavily affected by a flash flood in August 2001. The applicants alleged that Russian authorities were responsible for the flood and that there had been inadequate judicial response afterwards.
Vladivostok is located on the southeast coast of Russia, giving it a monsoon-influenced continental climate with humid summers. The month of August is often the rainiest and is marked by typhoons, and it is widely known that the floodplain of the Pionerskaya river is subject to periodic flooding during heavy rains. Between the 7th of June 1999 and the 27th of July 2001, various different authorities in charge of the reservoir and of the region highlighted the fact that the river channel was blocked and needed to be emptied to ensure that no dangerous flooding would occur. However, despite the various different warnings and orders to act, it is unclear whether any significant measures were actually taken.
On the 7th of August 2001, a heavy rainstorm affected the area. It is estimated that the rain that fell was the equivalent of a full month’s rainfall. By 12 PM, the reservoir was releasing water at a rate of 167 cubic metres per second. Due to the sudden release of water from the reservoir, a nearby area was immediately flooded, engulfing the applicants’ homes. There was no local emergency warning in place and the water rose quickly to a level of 1.50 metres. All 6 applicants suffered damages to their properties and their possessions.
Previous instances
A criminal investigation was opened on the 9th of August 2001, and the director of the State-owned company which regulated the reservoir (the Water Company) had criminal proceedings brought against him. However, in January 2003, the criminal proceedings were discontinued. It was contended that the evacuation of water from the reservoir was appropriate given how much rain had fallen on that day, and that such an evacuation was necessary to mitigate the risk of the dam breaking and claiming many lives. An expert report, concluded in January 2003, found that the main reason for the flood was to the blocked channel of the Pionerskaya river, which was littered with waste and overgrown trees and bushes. Consequently, the investigative authorities ordered criminal proceedings to be brought against officials in Vladivostok. Proceedings were brought against officials on the grounds that they had given permission for housing construction in a water protected zone by the river. However, in July 2004, these proceedings were also discontinued for lack of evidence. The civil proceedings the applicants brought were also dismissed in 2004, leaving them with minimal compensation for their losses.
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