MOSCOW, June 6 (RAPSI) – The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has awarded over €15,000 in compensation including costs and expenses to former Yukos security chief Alexey Pichugin sentenced in Russia to life in prison.

Pichugin has complained over alleged breach of presumption of innocence and assessment of evidence by Russian courts in the second case against him.

The applicant insisted that a new trial in Russia would be “the most appropriate form of redress” in his case. He also claimed €100 “per each day of his detention following his conviction on August 6, 2007 until his release pending a new trial in respect of pecuniary damage and €13,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage.”

That was the second application Pichugin filed with the ECHR. In October 2012, the Strasbourg Court held that Russia’s authorities had violated his rights to a fair trial (Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights) and awarded €9,500 to the applicant.

Two criminal cases have been opened against ex-Yukos security chief in Russia on charges of organizing murders and attempted assassinations. In 2005, he received 20 years in prison in the first case. In 2007, he was sentenced to life in prison in the second case.