CASE OF MERABISHVILI v. GEORGIA
Hearing: Merabishvili v. Georgia (no. 72508/13) (Grand Chamber hearing, 2017-03-08 00:00:00)
Application no.: 72508/13
Document type: GRANDCHAMBER
Document date: 2017-11-28 00:00:00
ECLI: ECLI:CE:ECHR:2017:1128JUD007250813
Respondent state: GEO
Articles of the Convention: 5;5-1;5-3;18;18+5-1;35;35-1;35-4;41
Judges: Alena Poláčková;András Sajó;Angelika Nußberger;Egidijus Kūris;Ganna Yudkivska;Georgios A. Serghides;Guido Raimondi;Helen Keller;Helena Jäderblom;Iulia Motoc;Jean-Paul Costa;Jon Fridrik Kjølbro;Kristina Pardalos;Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos;Loukis Loucaides;Luzius Wildhaber;Nona Tsotsoria;Paulo Pinto De Albuquerque;Robert Spano;Vincent A. De Gaetano;Yonko Grozev;Georges Ravarani;Ksenija Turković;Pere Pastor Vilanova
Represented by: LEACH P. ; SAWYER J.
Issue: Article 18 §§ 1 and 6 of the Constitution ; Articles 171 §§ 1, 2 and 3, 205 § 2, 206 § 6 and 207 of the Code of Criminal Procedure

Strasbourg case-law cited: A and B v. Norway [GC], nos. 24130/11 and 29758/11, § 133, ECHR 2016;A. and Others v. the United Kingdom [GC], no. 3455/05, § 171, ECHR 2009;A.A. v. the United Kingdom, no. 8000/08, §§ 52-71, 20 September 2011;Abdulaziz, Cabales and Balkandali v. the United Kingdom, 28 May 1985, § 71, Series A no. 94;Airey v. Ireland, 9 October 1979, § 30, Series A no. 32;Airey v. Ireland (Article 50), 6 February 1981, § 13, Series A no. 41;Akdivar and Others v. Turkey, 16 September 1996, § 99, Reports 1996-IV;Aktaş v. Turkey, no. 24351/94, § 272, ECHR 2003-V (extracts);Al Nashiri v. Poland, no. 28761/11, § 411, 24 July 2014;Alekseyev v. Russia, nos. 4916/07 and 2 others, § 69, 21 October 2010;Amuur v. France, 25 June 1996, § 50, Reports 1996-III;Artico v. Italy, 13 May 1980, § 30, Series A no. 37;Artner v. Austria, 28 August 1992, § 21, Series A no. 242-A;Arutyunyan v. Russia, no. 48977/09, §§ 92-93, 10 January 2012;Ashingdane v. the United Kingdom, 28 May 1985, § 44, Series A no. 93;Assanidze v. Georgia [GC], no. 71503/01, ECHR 2004-II;Azimov v. Russia, no. 67474/11, §§ 163 and 165, 18 April 2013;Azinas v. Cyprus [GC], no. 56679/00, § 32, ECHR 2004-III;Aziz v. Cyprus, no. 69949/01, § 35, ECHR 2004-V;Baisuev and Anzorov v. Georgia, no. 39804/04, § 60, 18 December 2012;Baka v. Hungary [GC], no. 20261/12, §§ 156-57, ECHR 2016;Baranowski v. Poland, no. 28358/95, §§ 51-56, ECHR 2000-III;Bayatyan v. Armenia [GC], no. 23459/03, § 117, ECHR 2011;Beyeler v. Italy [GC], no. 33202/96, § 129, ECHR 2000-I;Blokhin v. Russia [GC], no. 47152/06, §§ 102-03, ECHR 2016;Bouamar v. Belgium, 29 February 1988, § 50, Series A no. 129;Bozano v. France, 18 December 1986, § 61, Series A no. 111;Bozano v. Italy, no. 9991/82, Commission decision of 12 July 1984, DR 39, p. 147, p. 157;Bozano v. Switzerland, no. 9009/80, Commission decision of 12 July 1984, DR 39, p. 58, p. 70;Brogan and Others v. the United Kingdom, 29 November 1988, §§ 52-53, Series A no. 145-B;Buzadji v. the Republic of Moldova [GC], no. 23755/07, ECHR 2016 (extracts);Campbell and Cosans v. the United Kingdom (Article 50), 22 March 1983, § 14 (a), Series A no. 60;Cebotari v. Moldova, no. 35615/06, §§ 49-53, 13 November 2007;Chahal v. the United Kingdom, 15 November 1996, § 112, Reports 1996-V;Chassagnou and Others v. France [GC], nos. 25088/94 and 2 others, § 89, ECHR 1999-III;Christian Democratic People’s Party v. Moldova (no. 2), no. 25196/04, § 19, 2 February 2010;Christian Democratic People’s Party v. Moldova, no. 28793/02, § 54, ECHR 2006-II;Ciulla v. Italy, 22 February 1989, § 38, Series A no. 148;Clooth v. Belgium, 12 December 1991, § 44, Series A no. 225;Cornea v. Romania (dec.), no. 13755/03, § 51, 15 May 2012;Cyprus v. Turkey [GC], no. 25781/94, § 206, ECHR 2001-IV;De Becker v. Belgium, no. 214/56, Commission report of 8 January 1960, Series B no. 2, pp. 132-33, § 271;De Jong, Baljet and Van den Brink v. the Netherlands, 22 May 1984, Series A no. 77;De Wilde, Ooms and Versyp v. Belgium, 18 June 1971, § 65, Series A no. 12;Demir and Baykara v. Turkey [GC], no. 34503/97, §§ 76-77, ECHR 2008;Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands v. Greece, nos. 3321/67 and 3 others, Commission report of 5 November 1969, Yearbook 12, p. 112, § 225;Dudgeon v. the United Kingdom (Article 50), 24 February 1983, § 22, Series A no. 59;Dudgeon v. the United Kingdom, 22 October 1981, § 67, Series A no. 45;E.O. and V.P. v. Slovakia (dec.), nos. 56193/00 and 57581/00, 16 September 2003;Ekimdjiev v. Bulgaria (dec.), no. 47092/99, 3 March 2005;El-Masri v. the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia [GC], no. 39630/09, § 152, ECHR 2012;Engel and Others v. the Netherlands, 8 June 1976, §§ 93 and 104, Series A no. 22;Engel and Others v. the Netherlands, nos. 5100/71 and 4 others, Commission report of 19 July 1974, Series B no. 20, p. 86, §§ 191-92;Enhorn v. Sweden, no. 56529/00, § 35, ECHR 2005-I;Eshonkulov v. Russia, no. 68900/13, § 65, 15 January 2015;Fábián v. Hungary [GC], no. 78117/13, §§ 95-97, ECHR 2017 (extracts);Federation of Offshore Workers’ Trade Unions v. Norway (dec.), no. 38190/97, ECHR 2002-VI;Fedorenko v. Russia, no. 39602/05, §§ 48-50 and 54-55, 20 September 2011;Feldman v. Ukraine, nos. 76556/01 and 38779/04, § 73, 8 April 2010;Fox, Campbell and Hartley v. the United Kingdom, 30 August 1990, § 32, Series A no. 182;Frumkin v. Russia, no. 74568/12, §§ 172-73, ECHR 2016 (extracts);Gafgaz Mammadov v. Azerbaijan, no. 60259/11, §§ 107-08, 15 October 2015;Gal v. Ukraine, no. 6759/11, §§ 36-37, 16 April 2015;Gatt v. Malta, no. 28221/08, §§ 42 and 48, ECHR 2010;Gentilhomme, Schaff-Benhadji and Zerouki v. France, nos. 48205/99 and 2 others, § 27, 14 May 2002;Georgia v. Russia (I) [GC], no. 13255/07, §§ 185-86, ECHR 2014 (extracts);Gigolashvili v. Georgia, no. 18145/05, §§ 31 and 35, 8 July 2008;Gillow v. the United Kingdom, 24 November 1986, § 54, Series A no. 109;Giorgi Nikolaishvili v. Georgia, no. 37048/04, 13 January 2009;Golder v. the United Kingdom, 21 February 1975, § 39 in fine, Series A no. 18;Gubkin v. Russia, no. 36941/02, §§ 111-14, 23 April 2009;Gusinskiy v. Russia, no. 70276/01, § 55, ECHR 2004-IV;Guzzardi v. Italy, 6 November 1980, § 102, Series A no. 39;Hakobyan and Others v. Armenia, no. 34320/04, § 123, 10 April 2012;Handyside v. the United Kingdom, 7 December 1976, § 64, Series A no. 24;Handyside v. the United Kingdom, no. 5493/72, Commission report of 30 September 1975, Series B no. 22, p. 52, §§ 174-75;Hassan v. the United Kingdom [GC], no. 29750/09, § 104, ECHR 2014;Helle v. Finland, 19 December 1997, §§ 56-60, Reports 1997-VIII;Husayn (Abu Zubaydah) v. Poland, no. 7511/13, § 411, 24 July 2014;Huseynli and Others v. Azerbaijan, nos. 67360/11 and 2 others, §§ 146-47, 11 February 2016;I.A. v. France, 23 September 1998, §§ 105 and 110, Reports 1998-VII;I.J.L. and Others v. the United Kingdom, nos. 29522/95 and 2 others, § 101, ECHR 2000-IX;Ibrahimov and Others v. Azerbaijan, nos. 69234/11 and 2 others, §§ 126-27, 11 February 2016;Ilgar Mammadov v. Azerbaijan, no. 15172/13, §§ 90-99, 22 May 2014;Ilijkov v. Bulgaria, no. 33977/96, § 86, 26 July 2001;Informationsverein Lentia and Others v. Austria, 24 November 1993, §§ 31 and 33, Series A no. 276;International Bank for Commerce and Development AD and Others v. Bulgaria, no. 7031/05, § 129, 2 June 2016;Ireland v. the United Kingdom, 18 January 1978, § 194, Series A no. 25;Iskandarov v. Russia, no. 17185/05, §§ 109-15 and 148-51, 23 September 2010;Ivanova and Cherkezov v. Bulgaria, no. 46577/15, § 89, 21 April 2016;J.K. and Others v. Sweden [GC], no. 59166/12, §§ 91-98, ECHR 2016;Janowiec and Others v. Russia [GC], nos. 55508/07 and 29520/09, § 202, ECHR 2013;Jarzyński v. Poland, no. 15479/02, § 43, 4 October 2005;Jėčius v. Lithuania, no. 34578/97, ECHR 2000-IX;K. and T. v. Finland [GC], no. 25702/94, ECHR 2001-VII;K.-F. v. Germany, 27 November 1997, Reports 1997-VII;Kafkaris v. Cyprus [GC], no. 21906/04, § 117, ECHR 2008;Kakabadze and Others v. Georgia, no. 1484/07, 2 October 2012;Kamasinski v. Austria, 19 December 1989, § 59, Series A no. 168;Kamma v. the Netherlands, no. 4771/71, Commission report of 14 July 1974, Decisions and Reports (DR) 1, p. 4;Kandzhov v. Bulgaria, no. 68294/01, §§ 57-61, 6 November 2008;Karajanov v. the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, no. 2229/15, §§ 75-77, 6 April 2017;Kasparov v. Russia, no. 53659/07, §§ 73-74, 11 October 2016;Kasparov and Others v. Russia (no. 2), no. 51988/07, § 55, 13 December 2016;Kemmache v. France (no. 3), 24 November 1994, §§ 37 and 42, Series A no. 296-C;Kharchenko v. Ukraine, no. 40107/02, § 74, 10 February 2011;Khayletdinov v. Russia, no. 2763/13, § 82, 12 January 2016;Khodorkovskiy v. Russia, no. 5829/04, §§ 161 and 163, 31 May 2011;Khodorkovskiy and Lebedev v. Russia, nos. 11082/06 and 13772/05, § 525, 25 July 2013;Khudoyorov v. Russia, no. 6847/02, §§ 136-37, ECHR 2005-X (extracts);Khuzhin and Others v. Russia, no. 13470/02, §§ 117-18, 23 October 2008;Kırlangıç v. Turkey, no. 30689/05, § 54, 25 September 2012;Klass and Others v. Germany, 6 September 1978, § 68, Series A no. 28;Kleutin v. Ukraine, no. 5911/05, § 105, 23 June 2016;Konstantin Markin v. Russia [GC], no. 30078/06, § 124, ECHR 2012 (extracts);Kozłowski v. Poland, no. 31575/03, § 43, 13 December 2005;Krzysztofiak v. Poland, no. 38018/07, § 48, 20 April 2010;Kucheruk v. Ukraine, no. 2570/04, § 177, 6 September 2007;Kudła v. Poland [GC], no. 30210/96, § 114, ECHR 2000-XI;Labita v. Italy [GC], no. 26772/95, § 155, ECHR 2000-IV;Lăcătuş and Others v. Romania, no. 12694/04, § 100, 13 November 2012;Lawless v. Ireland (no. 3), 1 July 1961, p. 59, § 38, Series A no. 3;Letellier v. France, 26 June 1991, Series A no. 207;Lingens v. Austria, 8 July 1986, § 36, Series A no. 103;Logvinenko v. Russia, no. 44511/04, §§ 37-38, 17 June 2010;Luedicke, Belkacem and Koç v. Germany (Article 50), 10 March 1980, § 15, Series A no. 36;Lukanov v. Bulgaria, 20 March 1997, Reports 1997-II;Luković v. Serbia, no. 43808/07, § 54, 26 March 2013;Lutsenko v. Ukraine, no. 6492/11, §§ 67-73, 3 July 2012;Marckx v. Belgium, 13 June 1979, § 32, Series A no. 31;;Mathloom v. Greece, no. 48883/07, § 39, 24 April 2012;Matznetter v. Austria, 10 November 1969, pp. 31-32, § 5, Series A no. 10;McCann and Others v. the United Kingdom, 27 September 1995, § 221, Series A no. 324;McFeeley and Others v. the United Kingdom, no. 8317/78, Commission decision of 15 May 1980, DR 20, p. 44, p. 102, § 133;Medvedyev and Others v. France [GC], no. 3394/03, § 69, ECHR 2010;Mikiashvili v. Georgia, no. 18996/06, § 94, 9 October 2012;Minelli v. Switzerland, 25 March 1983, § 35, Series A no. 62;Mooren v. Germany [GC], no. 11364/03, § 57, 9 July 2009;Murray v. the United Kingdom, 28 October 1994, §§ 67-68, Series A no. 300-A;Muršić v. Croatia [GC], no. 7334/13, § 69, ECHR 2016;Mustafa (Abu Hamza) v. the United Kingdom (dec.), no. 31411/07, § 34, 18 January 2011;N.C. v. Italy [GC], no. 24952/94, § 44, ECHR 2002-X;Nachova and Others v. Bulgaria [GC], nos. 43577/98 and 43579/98, § 147, ECHR 2005-VII;Navalnyy and Yashin v. Russia, no. 76204/11, § 116-17, 4 December 2014;Nemtsov v. Russia, no. 1774/11, §§ 129-30, 31 July 2014;Nikolova v. Bulgaria [GC], no. 31195/96, § 60, ECHR 1999-II;Nikula v. Finland, no. 31611/96, § 38, ECHR 2002-II;Nolan and K. v. Russia, no. 2512/04, §§ 73-74, 12 February 2009;Nowak v. Ukraine, no. 60846/10, § 58, 31 March 2011;O’Hara v. the United Kingdom, no. 37555/97, §§ 34 and 36, ECHR 2001-X;OAO Neftyanaya Kompaniya Yukos v. Russia, no. 14902/04, §§ 663-66, 20 September 2011;Oates v. Poland (dec.), no. 35036/97, 11 May 2000;Öcalan v. Turkey [GC], no. 46221/99, § 206, ECHR 2005-IV;Odièvre v. France [GC], no. 42326/98, § 22, ECHR 2003-III;Oleksiy Mykhaylovych Zakharkin v. Ukraine, no. 1727/04, §§ 86-88, 24 June 2010;Olsson v. Sweden (no. 1), 24 March 1988, § 68, Series A no. 130;Open Door and Dublin Well Woman v. 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Turkey [GC], nos. 41340/98 and 3 others, § 137, ECHR 2003-II;Roman Petrov v. Russia, no. 37311/08, §§ 43-45, 15 December 2015;S.A.S. v. France [GC], no. 43835/11, ECHR 2014 (extracts);Saadi v. the United Kingdom [GC], no. 13229/03, ECHR 2008;Sabri Güneş v. Turkey [GC], no. 27396/06, §§ 25-31, 29 June 2012;Saghatelyan v. Armenia, no. 7984/06, § 62, 20 October 2015;Saghinadze and Others v. Georgia, no. 18768/05, § 137, 27 May 2010;Sâmbata Bihor Greek Catholic Parish v. Romania (dec.), no. 48107/99, 25 May 2004;Schwabe and M.G. v. Germany, nos. 8080/08 and 8577/08, § 72, ECHR 2011 (extracts);Scott v. Spain, 18 December 1996, § 59, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1996-VI;Sejdovic v. Italy [GC], no. 56581/00, § 41, ECHR 2006-II;Shimovolos v. Russia, no. 30194/09, §§ 52-57, 21 June 2011;Sidiropoulos and Others v. Greece, 10 July 1998, §§ 38-47, Reports 1998-IV;Sisojeva and Others v. Latvia (striking out) [GC], no. 60654/00, § 129, ECHR 2007-I;Sitaropoulos and Giakoumopoulos v. Greece [GC], no. 42202/07, § 64, ECHR 2012;Smirnova v. Russia, nos. 46133/99 and 48183/99, ECHR 2003-IX (extracts);Šneersone and Kampanella v. Italy, no. 14737/09, § 90, 12 July 2011;Solovey and Zozulya v. Ukraine, nos. 40774/02 and 4048/03, §§ 70 72, 27 November 2008;Sporrong and Lönnroth v. Sweden, 23 September 1982, § 76, Series A no. 52;Stamose v. Bulgaria, no. 29713/05, § 32, ECHR 2012;Stec and Others v. the United Kingdom (dec.) [GC], nos. 65731/01 and 65900/01, § 48, ECHR 2005-X;Stögmüller v. Austria, 10 November 1969, p. 41, § 7, Series A no. 9;Stoichkov v. Bulgaria, no. 9808/02, § 52, 24 March 2005;Stoll v. Switzerland [GC], no. 69698/01, §§ 54-62, ECHR 2007-V;Svinarenko and Slyadnev v. Russia [GC], nos. 32541/08 and 43441/08, § 85, ECHR 2014 (extracts);Tahsin Acar v. Turkey [GC], no. 26307/95, § 247, ECHR 2004-III;Tănase v. Moldova [GC], no. 7/08, §§ 164-70, ECHR 2010;Tchankotadze v. Georgia no. 15256/05, §§ 114-15, 21 June 2016;The Sunday Times v. the United Kingdom (no. 1), 26 April 1979, § 75, Series A no. 30;Thlimmenos v. Greece [GC], no. 34369/97, § 40, ECHR 2000-IV;Times Newspapers Ltd and Others v. the United Kingdom, no. 6538/74, Commission report of 18 May 1977, Series B no. 28, p. 77, §§ 263-65;Timishev v. Russia, nos. 55762/00 and 55974/00, § 53, ECHR 2005-XII;Timurtaş v. Turkey, no. 23531/94, § 118, ECHR 2000-VI;Tymoshenko v. Ukraine, no. 49872/11, §§ 269-70, 30 April 2013;United Communist Party of Turkey and Others v. Turkey, 30 January 1998, § 62, Reports 1998-I;United Macedonian Organisation Ilinden-PIRIN and Others v. Bulgaria (no. 2), nos. 41561/07 and 20972/08, § 83, 18 October 2011;Uspaskich v. Lithuania, no. 14737/08, §§ 90-100, 20 December 2016;Van der Mussele v. Belgium, 23 November 1983, § 43, Series A no. 70;Vaščenkovs v. Latvia, no. 30795/12, § 42, 15 December 2016;Vereinigung Bildender Künstler v. Austria, no. 68354/01, §§ 29-39, 25 January 2007;Vladimir Solovyev v. Russia, no. 2708/02, §§ 95-98, 24 May 2007;W. v. Switzerland, 26 January 1993, § 33 Series A no. 254-A;Weber v. Switzerland, 22 May 1990, §§ 44-45, Series A no. 177;Weeks v. the United Kingdom, 2 March 1987, § 42, Series A no. 114;Wemhoff v. Germany, 27 June 1968, p. 25, § 15, Series A no. 7;Winterwerp v. the Netherlands, 24 October 1979, Series A no. 33;X and Y v. the Netherlands, no. 6202/73, Commission decision of 16 March 1975, DR 1, p. 66, at p. 71;X v. Austria, no. 753/60, Commission decision of 5 August 1960, Yearbook 3, p. 310;X v. the Netherlands, no. 5763/72, Commission decision of 18 December 1973, Collection 45, p. 76, at pp. 83-84;X v. the United Kingdom (Article 50), 18 October 1982, § 24, Series A no. 55;Yeloyev v. Ukraine, no. 17283/02, § 53, 6 November 2008;Yumak and Sadak v. Turkey [GC], no. 10226/03, § 109 (iii), ECHR 2008;Ždanoka v. Latvia [GC], no. 58278/00, § 115 (b), ECHR 2006-IV
Conclusion: Preliminary objection dismissed (Art. 35) Admissibility criteria;(Art. 35-1) Exhaustion of domestic remedies;(Art. 35-4) Rejection of application at any stage of the proceedings;Preliminary objection dismissed (Art. 35) Admissibility criteria;(Art. 35-1) Six-month period;No violation of Article 5 - Right to liberty and security (Article 5-1 - Lawful arrest or detention);No violation of Article 5 - Right to liberty and security (Article 5-1 - Lawful arrest or detention);No violation of Article 5 - Right to liberty and security (Article 5-3 - Reasonableness of pre-trial detention);Violation of Article 5 - Right to liberty and security (Article 5-3 - Reasonableness of pre-trial detention);Violation of Article 18+5-1 - Limitation on use of restrictions on rights (Article 18 - Restrictions for unauthorised purposes) (Article 5 - Right to liberty and security;Article 5-1 - Lawful arrest or detention);Non-pecuniary damage - award (Article 41 - Non-pecuniary damage;Just satisfaction)
Separate opinion: TRUE