16 January 2015
In line with recent judgments on removal to Uzbekistan, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that the extradition of an Uzbek national from Russia to his country of origin on charges of alleged membership of a Muslim extremist movement would violate the European Convention of Human Rights. In particular, the Court found that the Russian authorities did not duly examine the applicant’s claim that his return to Uzbekistan would expose him to ill-treatment although there was clear and strong evidence provided by UN bodies and prominent NGOs on the alarming human rights situation in Uzbekistan and on the risk of ill-treatment that some Muslim groups face there.
Furthermore, the Court held that the applicant’s right to a speedy review of the legality of his detention was violated when he was in custody pending expulsion for residing irregularly in Russia.
The applicant’s removal had been suspended in November 2013 under an interim measure by the European Court of Human Rights, which established that Russia should not expel the applicant until the Court ruled on the case.
For further information:
- Amnesty International, Uzbekistan: Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in Uzbekistan: Amnesty International’s written statement to the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council (3-28 march 2014), 20 February 2014
- Amnesty International, Amnesty International Report 2013: The State of the World’s Human Rights, 23 May 2013
This article originally appeared in the ECRE Weekly Bulletin of 16 January 2015. You can subscribe to the Weekly Bulletin here.