The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights rules that the Slovenian authorities treatment of the so-called “erased” is in violation of article 8 (right to private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) and article 13 (right to an effective remedy). The applicants were left stateless after the dissolution of the Yugoslavia and later had their records removed from the civil registry, losing their right to residence. The Court found that the prolonged refusal to resolve the applicants’ residence status constituted an interference with their right to private and/or family life, and that they had been discriminated against because they were in disadvantaged situation compared to other foreigners in Slovenia.

Source: European Court of Human Rights

Date: 25 June 2012