ADMISSIBILITY DECISION IN THE CASE OF SHAMAYEV AND 12 OTHERS v. GEORGIA AND RUSSIA

455
19.9.2003

Press release issued by the Registrar

ADMISSIBILITY DECISION
IN THE CASE OF SHAMAYEV AND 12 OTHERS v. GEORGIA AND RUSSIA

After a hearing on 16 September 2003 (see press release no. 446), the European Court of Human Rights (Second Section) declared admissible the application lodged in the case of Shamayev and 12 Others v. Georgia and Russia (application no. 36378/02). The Court also ruled that the preliminary objections raised by the Russian Government, concerning the question whether the five extradited applicants intended to apply to the Court and whether the lawyers purporting to represent them before the Court had been properly mandated, should be joined to the examination of the merits of the case, which will take place at a later stage.

The Court further decided, under Rule 42 § 2 of its Rules of Procedure (measures for taking evidence), to organise fact-finding missions in Georgia and Russia as soon as possible, with a view to taking evidence from the applicants and witnesses.

The case concerns an application lodged by 13 people apparently of Chechen origin who are at present detained in Russia and Georgia. The application was lodged with the Court on 4 and 9 October 2002.

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The text of the decision will be available at a later date on the Court’s Internet site (http://www.echr.coe.int).

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