The Strasbourg-based court ruled that Russian courts had failed to provide "relevant and sufficient reasons" to justify Aleksanyan's detention, according to a copy of the judgment posted on the court's web site. The court called for "other, reasonable and less stringent" measures of restraint, saying Aleksanyan's continuing pre-trial detention has "lost any meaningful purpose."
Aleksanyan, 37, who was arrested in April 2006 on suspicion of embezzlement and tax evasion, was diagnosed with AIDS-related lymphoma in January. He has been receiving treatment under guard at a civilian hospital since February.
The Moscow City Court ruled earlier this month that Aleksanyan could be released on bail of 50 million rubles ($1.78 million). His family and former colleagues have not yet managed to raise the bail money, Vedomosti reported Monday. Aleksanyan's father has opened an account for donations, the details of which are published on a web site run by the lawyers of former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
The court ruled that Russia failed to provide Aleksanyan with proper medical care, subjected him to "inhuman and degrading treatment," and "continuously refused" to carry out the court's previous ruling to move him to a civilian hospital. Court spokeswoman Sania Ivedi said by telephone Monday that Aleksanyan had not asked for compensatory damages.
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