The court ordered that Russia pay nearly 3 million euros ($3.2 million) in total compensation to the 409 Russians who brought the case to the ECHR; they include people who were taken hostage, or injured or are relatives of the hostages or those killed and injured. It ordered Russia to pay 2,955,000 euros ($3.1 million) to 409 relatives of victims, plus 88,000 euros in legal costs. Russia, which ratified the European Convention on Human Rights immediately denounced the ruling, dismissing the decision as “unacceptable” and saying it will appeal it. Most of the victims were killed by explosions or gunfire during the Russian special forces' assault on the school on the third day of the hostage crisis. In the days and months afterwards, survivors accused the authorities of bungling the siege by using tanks, flamethrowers and grenade launchers while hostages were still cowering inside the school gym, and then covering up what happened. "While certain security measures had been taken, in general the preventive measures in the present case could be characterized as inadequate," it said.
The European Court of Human Rights rules that Russia had failed to protect students and teachers during the 2004 Beslan school siege, which left 334 people dead, and orders the Russian Government to pay 2,955,000 euros to 409 relatives of the victims. The ruling was quickly denounced by Russia as "unacceptable".