European court slams 'inhuman' Russian army punishment

Russia must pay compensation to an army conscript who was disabled after suffering "inhuman punishment" while on compulsory military service, the European Court of Human Rights ruled yesterday.

Yevgenny Chember was awarded €10,000 in compensation by the court, based in Strasbourg, France. The court said he was forced to do 350 knee bends in March 2001 in punishment for not cleaning properly his barracks, in the Astrakhan region of Southern Russia.

Mr Chember collapsed and was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a spinal injury.

"He can no longer walk properly," the court reported in a summary of the case. Mr Chember was dismissed from the military, but his attempts to claim a pension have been rejected.

Russia's army has a fearful reputation for the bullying rituals meted out to new arrivals and tens of thousands of young men try every year to avoid the draft.

Russia maintains his disability was caused by a chronic spinal condition that went undiagnosed until he joined the army.

The court said the army knew Mr Chember had health issues.

"Despite having been fully aware of the applicant's specific health problems and having exempted him from physical exercise and squad drill, his commanders had forced him to do precisely the kind of exercise which had put great strain on his knees and spine," the court said.

"The severity of that punishment could not be accounted for by any disciplinary or military necessity... that punishment had been deliberately calculated to cause the applicant intense physical suffering.

"Accordingly, it found that the applicant had been subjected to inhuman punishment."

Russia's army has cut military service from two years when Mr Chember served, to one year. It is also trying to reduce the proportion of conscripts in the million-strong military.