February 20, 2026
by Ergün Cakal What is the adequate level of healthcare in prison? How are judges to make such assessments (and how well placed are they to do so anyway)? How is a prisoner’s own refusal of treatment to be weighed in that assessment? When does a lack of healthcare require that a prisoner be released? […]
February 18, 2026
Expert report drafted by Ellen Desmet (Ghent University), Eva Sevrin (KU Leuven, Ghent University) and Thomas Spijkerboer (Ghent University)[i] Introduction On 10 December 2025, 27 Council of Europe states adopted a statement expressing their concerns about the migration case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). They believe that the ECtHR imposes too […]
February 10, 2026
By Dr Rishika Sahgal On 23 October 2025, a Chamber of seven judges of the European Court of Human Rights handed down judgment in a case challenging the proportionality of a demolition order imposed on the home of the applicant, under Article 8 of the Convention. The case raises important issues with regards to the […]
February 06, 2026
By Victor Van Steendam While it is difficult to collect accurate numbers on drug use in prisons, European studies do show that a significant number of prisoners continue using or even start using drugs in prison. The increased prevalence of drugs in society is furthermore a well-established phenomenon that has received increasing attention in the […]
February 03, 2026
By Alexander Hughes The scope of the positive obligation on State authorities to conduct an effective investigation into allegations of sexual violence has once again come before the European Court of Human Rights in A.J. and L.E. v. Spain. The case concerns a regrettably familiar fate for many young women. The applicants alleged that they […]
January 20, 2026
By Dr. Thomas Joyce Introduction In November 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) held that inmates should not be prohibited from smoking in prison, pursuant to Article 8 of the ECHR. A small number of inmates brought the case against Estonia, after the Estonian Supreme Court (Riigiohus) declared that the complete ban on […]
January 13, 2026
By Maële Dumontet On 4 September 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) adopted a decision in the case E.A et Association européenne contre les violences faites aux femmes au travail v. France concerning the authorities’ failure to criminalise non-consensual sexual intercourse and conduct an effective investigation into the applicant’s allegations of rape. This […]
December 16, 2025
By Dr. Vera Wriedt *** Between the 12th and the 22nd of December, Strasbourg Observers is hosting a blog symposium entitled ‘The Role of the European Court of Human Rights: Progressive, Conservative, or Both?‘The introduction to the symposium can be found here. In addition to this post from Vera Wriendt, the symposium also includes contributions […]
December 15, 2025
By Dr Corina Heri *** Between the 12th and the 22nd of December, Strasbourg Observers is hosting a blog symposium entitled ‘The Role of the European Court of Human Rights: Progressive, Conservative, or Both?‘The introduction to the symposium can be found here. In addition to this post from Corina Heri, the symposium includes contributions from […]
December 04, 2025
by Vandita Khanna After three recent judgments on racial profiling (analysed here and here), Seydi and Others v France has brought the issue back before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). On 26 June 2025, the Fifth Section found France to have violated Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) in conjunction with Article 8 (right […]
November 27, 2025
Dr. Christian J. Tams From 2-4 December 2025, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will meet to discuss compliance with ECtHR judgments. The agenda for the meeting is dense. States increasingly struggle to (or choose not to) ‘abide by the final judgment of the Court in any case in which they are […]
November 21, 2025
By Dr. Dominika Bychawska-Siniarska In its recent case Mortensen v. Denmark, the ECtHR had yet another opportunity to assess whether calling someone a ‘Nazi’ falls within the boundaries of freedom of expression. Following earlier cases such as Lingens v. Austria, Brosa v. Germany and Balaskas v. Greece, the Court examined in detail whether such a […]
November 07, 2025
Dr. Corina Heri & Dr. Hazhar Jamali On 28 October 2025, a Chamber formation of the ECtHR issued its most recent climate judgment: Greenpeace Nordic and Others v. Norway. This highly anticipated ruling concerned the Norwegian authorities’ alleged failure to conduct an adequate environmental impact assessment before licensing oil and gas exploration on the Norwegian […]
November 04, 2025
By dr. Ľalík Tomáš On 4 September 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) adopted a decision in the case of Figeľ v. Slovakia. Ján Figeľ alleged a violation of his freedom of religion due to the absolute prohibition of public worship during the Covid-19 pandemic in Slovakia. The case concerns the protection of […]
October 31, 2025
By Dr. Elena Patrizi The recent judgement of M.P. and Others v. Greece (application no. 2068/24), decided on 9 September 2025, addresses the question of hearing children in international abduction proceedings, making a significant contribution to the evolution of the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (hereafter “the Court”) on this matter. […]
October 28, 2025
by Casper Vanspauwen In Kovačević v. Bosnia and Herzegovina (2025), the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) was called upon to rule once again on the compatibility of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In Sejdić and Finci v. Bosnia and Herzegovina (2009), the Court had already […]
October 24, 2025
By Lize Glas In Hora v. the United Kingdom, published on 23 September 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (the Court) had to decide whether the applicant’s disenfranchisement was compatible with Article 3 of Protocol 1 (P1), which protects the right to free elections. However, the ongoing dialogue for more than twenty years between […]
October 21, 2025
By Dr. Ufuk Yeşil On July 22, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) delivered its judgment in Demirhan and Others v. Türkiye (Demirhan), addressing the convictions of 239 Turkish nationals for alleged membership in the Gülen movement, primarily based on their alleged use of the encrypted messaging application ByLock. Building on the landmark […]
October 17, 2025
by Philipp Schönberger1 The European Court of Human Rights’ (ECtHR) inadmissibility decision in E.A. and H.A.A. v. Greece published on 4 September 2025 marks a potential turning point in its assessment of asylum seekers’ reception conditions in the Greek ‘hotspots.’ The case signals a regressive shift in the Court’s jurisprudence, one that lacks sound justification, but fits […]
October 14, 2025
by Sam Chollet In T.H. v. Czech Republic, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) reiterated that the requirement for trans* people to undergo genital surgery to have their gender legally recognised violates the right to private life. But this apparent victory for trans* rights represents a drawback for non-binary trans* people. Summary of the […]