Европейский суд по правам человека
27 марта 2008 года
Facts
By a court decision the applicant, Mr. Shtukaturov, was found legally incapable and kept in a psychiatric hospital. He was not allowed to meet or communicate in any other way with his lawyer. This prohibition delayed the submission of the application to the European Court of Human Rights.
Complaint
The applicant claimed that by preventing him from meeting his lawyer in private for a long period of time his right to individual petition under Article 34 of the Convention had been violated.
Court's ruling
The Court pointed out that the restrictions on communication made it almost impossible for Mr. Shtukaturov to pursue his case before the Court, although the national authorities had been aware that the case had been initiated. Therefore, the Court ruled that the authorities, by restricting Mr. Shtukaturov’s contact with the outside world to such an extent, had interfered with his rights under Article 34 of the Convention.