The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that Russia was responsible for the disappearance and presumed death of a prisoner detained in Chechnya and had failed to properly investigate complaints that the man had been summarily executed on orders from a Russian general. The case, hailed by human rights groups and the man’s mother as an important precedent, examined the actions of Russian troops and of Col. Gen. Aleksandr Baranov, one of the country’s most senior military officers. It serves as a grim reminder that while the pace of the war against secessionists in Chechnya has eased since 2004, dark questions about Russia’s conduct and counterinsurgency tactics remain. Full Story