Ecrthr case summaries

ECtHR-C.G. and others v. Bulgaria, Application no. 1365/07, 24 July 2008
Country of applicant: Turkey

The European Court of Human Rights found that the expulsion of a Turkish national from Bulgaria violated his right to respect for private and family life (Article 8) and his right to an effective remedy (Article 13). What is more, it held that the Bulgarian authorities did not abide with the procedural safeguards relating to the expulsion of nationals. 

Date of decision: 24-07-2008
ECtHR – Saadi v. Italy, Application No. 37201/06, 28 February 2008
Country of applicant: Tunisia

The applicant, a Tunisian national, having served a sentence in Italy on the charge, among others, of criminal conspiracy, faced deportation from Italy to Tunisia, where he risked ill-treatment.

The Court found that the deportation of the applicant to Tunisia would constitute a violation of Article 3 ECHR. The absolute nature of Article 3 meant that the conduct of the applicant was irrelevant for the purposes of Article 3.

Date of decision: 28-02-2008
ECtHR - Saadi v. United Kingdom, no. 13229/03, 29 January 2008
Country of applicant: Iraq

The seven day detention of a ‘temporarily admitted’ asylum seeker under the fast-track procedure was non-arbitrary and consistent with Article 5(1), but the 76 hour delay in providing the individual with the real reasons for his detention did not satisfy the promptness requirement of Article 5(2).

Date of decision: 29-01-2008
ECtHR - Sultani v France, Application No. 45223/05
Country of applicant: Afghanistan

No violation of Articles 3 of the Convention and Article 4 of Protocol 4 should the Applicant be removed to Afghanistan. This assessment was made in light of the personal circumstances of the Applicant and the overall context in Afghanistan.

Date of decision: 26-09-2007
ECtHR - Gebremedhin (Gaberamadhien) v France, Application No. 25389/05
Country of applicant: Eritrea

The case concerns access to a remedy with suspensive effect by an asylum seeker, who claimed asylum at the French border, against a potential removal from France to a country where there is real reason to believe he would face the risk of being subjected to ill-treatment contrary to Article 3 of the ECHR.

Date of decision: 26-04-2007
ECtHR - Salah Sheekh v The Netherlands, Application No. 1948/04,
Country of applicant: Somalia

This case concerns how internal protection alternatives should be assessed when identifying whether there is a real risk of a violation of Art. 3 ECHR in the country of origin. It also concerns generalized violence and an individual assessment of risk in Somalia. The Court held that the Applicant’s expulsion to Somalia would be in violation of Art. 3 of the Convention and that there was no violation of Art. 13.

Date of decision: 11-01-2007
ECtHR- Tuquabo-Tekle And Others v The Netherlands, Application no. 60665/00, 1 March 2006
Country of applicant: Ethiopia

The European Court of Human Rights found that the authorities in the Netherlands had violated the right to family life of five Ethiopian nationals by not allowing them to be reunited in the Netherlands.

Date of decision: 01-03-2006
ECtHR - Said v. the Netherlands, Application no. 2345/02, 5 July 2005
Country of applicant: Eritrea

The European Court of Human Rights held that the expulsion of an Eritrean deserter to Eritrea would give rise to a violation of Article 3 of the Convention.

Date of decision: 05-07-2005
ECtHR - Shamayev and Others v Georgia and Russia, Application no.36378/02, 12 October 2005
Country of applicant: Georgia, Russia, Russia (Chechnya)

Thirteen applicants from Georgia and Russia (of Chechen origin) alleged that their extradition to Russia, where capital punishment was not abolished, exposed them to the risk of death, torture or ill-treatment contrary to Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention. The applicants also alleged that they had been subject to violence and ill-treatment by fifteen members of the Georgian Ministry of Justice’s special forces in Tbilisi Prison no.5., on the night of 3 and 4 October 2002. Their legal representatives asserted that Mr Aziev, one of the extradited applicants, had died as a result of ill-treatment inflicted on him. The applicants also complained of violations of Article 2 and 3, Article 5 §§ 1, 2 and 4, Article 13 in conjunction with articles 2 and 3, Article 34, Articles 2, 3 and 6 §§ 1,2 and 3 and Article 38 § 1 of the Convention. 

Date of decision: 12-04-2005
ECtHR - Mamatkulov and Askarov v. Turkey, Application Nos. 46827/99 and 46951/99, 4 February 2005
Country of applicant: Uzbekistan

The case involved two Uzbek nationals who were extradited to Uzbekistan by Turkey after Uzbekistan claimed they had committed terror-related crimes, while the applicants countered that they were political dissidents and would face ill-treatment and torture if returned. Despite the Court ordering interim measures to defer, Turkey extradited both and they were sentenced to terms of imprisonment. The Court found no violations of Art. 2, 3, or 6, but did find a violation of Art. 34 for Turkey’s non-compliance with the interim measures. 

Date of decision: 04-02-2005