PACE calls on Turkey, Russia to reduce rights cases

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) Mevlut Cavusoglu said 40% of appeals to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in 2009 came from Turkey and Russia, urging them to stick to the European Convention of Human Rights in order to reduce this number.

Cavusoglu told a conference on the future of ECHR hosted by Switzerland, that the number of appeals to the court hiked.

"The number of appeals nearly reached 120,000. When you attach the appeal petitions side by side it extends 4 kilometers," said Cavusoglu.

He said 60% of the appeals came from four countries, namely Russia (28%), Turkey (11%), Ukraine and Romania.

Cavusoglu said ECHR had difficulty in answering all appeals and the decisions were delayed.

"Justice delayed is injustice," said Cavusoglu.

Cavusoglu pointed out that the hike in the number of appeals were for the most part, was due to recurrence of the same violations. He emphasized that if the member countries fulfilled their responsibilities stemming from the convention, the work load of the court would be reduced.

Turkey ranked the top in ECHR's violation decisions, with 356 convictions followed by Russia against which 219 decisions were given by the court.

ECHR President Jean-Paul Costa said the 9 fold increase in the number of appeals in the last decade brought the ECHR to the verge of collapse.

Costa said in order to save the ECHR, unfounded claims should be prevented through public campaigns with the help of civil organizations and a new filtering system ought to be introduced in the long run.

He added that appeals about recurring violations or similar cases should be resolved by courts in member countries in line with ECHR precedents exist.

The rest of the conference hosted by Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf will be closed to the press, and 47 Council of Europe members which are represented in the conference will discuss the fate of ECHR.

Turkish State Minister Cevdet Yilmaz will deliver a speech Friday on Turkey's position.

/World Bulletin/