The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Russia to pay an estimated 1.9 million euros ($A2.93 million) to the families of Chechens who disappeared in the last decade.
The court said on Thursday that the government in Moscow had not argued convincingly that it was not responsible for the disappearance of the 36 men between 2000 and 2006.
The court said the complainants presented credible evidence that their family members had been seized by the Russian military. They have not had any communication from the men since the disappearances.
Russia has been judged guilty by the court of serious violations of basic rights in various cases for its actions during the years-long Chechen conflict. Repercussions from the war continue to be felt across Russia, with terrorist attacks in the region despite severe security rules.
Russia can appeal against the ruling to a higher level of the human rights court.
