In the case of Haddad v. Spain, the Court found a violation of the right to respect for family life.

The applicant, a Syrian national who had fled the war in his country, complained of his daughter’s placement in a foster family in Spain while he was under prosecution for domestic violence, and his inability to regain custody of the little girl after his acquittal.

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In the case of Sh.D. and Others v. Greece, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia, the Court declared the applications admissible solely in respect of Greece and found a number of violations of the Convention.  

The case concerned the conditions in which five Afghan migrants, unaccompanied minors, had been held in Greece.

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In the case of Marcello Viola v. Italy (no. 2), the Court found that the incompressible life sentence imposed on the applicant for mafia-type criminal activities had breached the Convention. It reiterated that human dignity, which lay at the heart of the Convention system, required that an individual could not be deprived of liberty without at the same time being given an opportunity for rehabilitation in the hope of one day recovering his freedom. 

The Court explained, however, that this finding of a violation could not be understood as giving the applicant a prospect of imminent release.

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The Court will deliver its Grand Chamber judgment in the case of Nicolae Virgiliu Tănase v. Romania on 25 June 2019.

The applicant, who had a car accident in 2004, sustaining serious injuries, complains of the ineffectiveness and excessive length of the criminal investigations conducted into his case. Furthermore, he claims that he suffered inhuman and degrading treatment on account of the authorities’ handling of the investigations.

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Webcast of the hearing

On 24 June 2019 a panel of 5 judges will examine 15 Grand Chamber referral requests.

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The Chamber to which the Mugemangango v. Belgium case had been allocated has relinquished jurisdiction in favour of the Grand Chamber. 

In this case the applicant, Chairman of the Belgian Labour Party (PTB) for Hainaut Province, alleges that the post-electoral disputes procedure in Belgium does not have minimum safeguards against arbitrariness; he complains that the legislative assemblies themselves have the power to verify any irregularities arising during the elections.

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Cases pending before the Grand Chamber

On 17 June 2019, Etilda Gjonaj, Minister of Justice of Albania, visited the Court and was received by President Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos. Darian Pavli, judge elected in respect of Albania, and Stanley Naismith, Section Registrar, also attended the meeting.

On 17 June 2019, Nicole Belloubet, Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice of France, visited the Court and was received by President Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos. André Potocki, judge elected in respect of France, and Roderick Liddell, Registrar, also attended the meeting. She also met French Members of the Registry.

On 17 June 2019, Alexandre Konovalov, Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, visited the Court and was received by President Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos. Dmitry Dedov, judge elected in respect of the Russian Federation, and Roderick Liddell, Registrar, also attended the meeting.

On 14 June 2019 President Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos and Ms Amélie de Montchalin, Secretary of State to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, responsible for European Affairs, inaugurated the France & the ECHR exhibition at the Court.

This exhibition is part of the Court’s 60th anniversary celebrations in conjunction with the French chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers. It deals with the history of the relations between the Court and France, in particular the major role played by a number of prominent French figures in the drafting of the Convention, and presenting the key judgments against France and the impact they have had at national level.

Video of the speech by President Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos (in French only)

Video of the speech by Amélie de Montchalin (in French only)

Speech by President Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos (in French only)