"Memorial" criticizes CC's bill on amending the procedure of appealing to Strasbourg

On July 9, 2007, V. D. Zorkin, Chairman of the Constitutional Court (CC) of the Russian Federation (RF) made a statement on the necessity to adopt new legal norms of the Russian law for those who apply against Russia to the European Court for Human Rights, which would oblige the applicants first to appeal to the RF Supreme Court.

In the opinion of K. N. Koroteev, a legal adviser of the HRC "Memorial," the amendments proposed by the Chairman of the RF CC are restricting the applicants' rights.

The human rights activist is convinced that the citizens who are complaining on Russia should apply to Strasbourg immediately after the cassation ruling or appeal statement (in the civil proceedings), without waiting for supervisory consideration, otherwise they are at risk to miss the 6-month term for addressing the European judges.

"Obviously, Russian authorities wish to reduce the flow of complaints that arrive against them to Strasbourg. But they've chosen absolutely inadequate measures for the purpose. Instead of senseless restrictions, they'd rather fulfil the adopted decisions and put an end to systematic violations of the European Convention," the human rights activist concludes.

The lawyer emphasizes the importance of ratifying Protocol 14 to the European Convention, which reforms the case consideration procedure at the Strasbourg Court.