Russia to Stop ECHR Victims’ Compensation?

We had read several rumors reported in the past about the Russian authorities making legal moves to avoid their obligation to pay compensation to victims who had won cases in the European Court of Human Rights.  Fresh over the wire on RBK Daily here comes another volley, this time from a Kremlin official:

Yesterday on the air on Radio Liberty, a staff specialist representing the Russian Federation at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Elena Mayboroda, let it be understood that Russia has suspended the payment of compensation on cases lost at the ECHR. In the evening Minjust declared that Ms. Mayboroda does not have the right to give such commentaries, while in Minfin they reported that it is not planned to cease payouts. Nevertheless, the large sums that Russia spends on the payment of claims, and attempts by officials to economize budgetary money make such a decision possible.

Not the greatest PR move for Russia to complain about the astronomical settlements they have to pay surviving family members of the Chechen disappeared the week after Natalia Estemirova is murdered.  Also weird for the Kremlin to say it is broke right after Gazprom raised $2.5 billion in a quick bond issue.