René Provost. “Teetering on the Edge of Legal Nihilism: Russia and the Evolving European Human Rights Regime.” Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 2 (2015): 289–340.
This article examines the fragile state of the rule of law in Russia, highlighting its complicated relationship with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) since Russia ratified the European Convention in 1998. Key factors contributing to this tension include the structure of Russia’s judiciary, the ambiguous status of the Convention within Russian law, widespread public distrust of courts, and ongoing armed conflicts. These challenges have significantly tested the ECHR’s effectiveness, and recent reform efforts are unlikely to improve Russia’s compliance with the Court’s rulings.