July 15, 2023
Over 100 Church members beaten and arrested at the Turkish Border
Rule 39 of the Rules of Court allows the European Court of Human Rights to issue urgent measures to safeguard “key” human rights such as the right to life or the prohibition of torture. Under the European Court’s well-established case law, these measures have legally binding effect, and non-compliance by the State to which they are addressed gives rise to a severe violation of international law.
The group was violently prevented from approaching the border by the Turkish police, which physically obstructed the group’s contact with the numerous Bulgarian NGOs waiting for them on the other side of the border, and subjected the applicants to violent beatings and severe threats which left the children among them shocked and traumatised.