European court rules against Russia over 2004 Beslan school siege massacre

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Russia failed to protect the hostages of the Beslan school siege in which about 330 people died in 2004.

In the siege, Chechen rebels took more than one thousand hostages, mostly children.

The operation by Russian forces to end it used disproportionate force.

It also said that officials knew an attack was imminent but did not act. 

Russia said the ruling was utterly unacceptable and that it would appeal. 

No Russian official has been held responsible for the high number of deaths, which included 186 children.

SOURCE: BBC NEWS