MOSCOW, February 22 - RAPSI. Russians filed 28.5% fewer complaints with the European Court of Human Rights in 2012 compared to 2011, Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov said on Friday.

"As of January 1, 2013, Russians had filed 28,600 claims, or 22.3% of the 128,000 waiting to be considered," he said, adding that the figure was 40,000 in 2011.

He said Russia has already paid 221 million rubles ($7.3 million) in compensation awarded to plaintiffs in previous years.