On 6 July 2011 the erased people, who are applicants in the case Kurić and others v. Slovenia, attended the public hearing before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights.

The attendance at the public hearing of seven out of ten applicants was organized by the Peace Institute. The applicants were accompanied by a group of other erased people and human rights defenders who assisted in the process of the preparation of the complaint and who assist the attorneys in the procedure before the European Court. Some journalists also joined the visit to the court.

At the public hearing the applicants were represented by the Italian attorney’s office Lana Lagostena-Bassi, namely attorneys Anton Giulio Lana and Andrea Saccucci, who represent the applicants ever since the complaint was lodged to the Court. The Grand Chamber judgment is expected in February or March 2012.

At the Grand Chamber hearing the Republic of Slovenia was proving that the implementation of the of the Constitutional Court ruling No. U-I-246/02, which concerns the legal position of the erased people, was sufficient as appropriate legislation was adopted, and that all those applicants who applied for a permanent residence permit were issued one. The aim of the government was to achieve that the case be struck out of the list of cases. The applicants, however, tried to prove that the adopted measures were insufficient.

• More information about the Kurić case
• Photogallery of the visit to the ECHP