CEDH · CASELAW;DECISIONS;ADMISSIBILITYCOM;ENG — 11 juin 2024

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Malaj, a lawyer practising in Shkodra; the decision to give notice of the application to the Albanian Government (“the Government”), initially represented by their Agent, Ms A. Hicka, and subsequently by Mr O. Moçka, General State Advocate; the parties’ observations; Having deliberated, decides as follows: SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE 1.     The present application is a follow-up to the Court’s judgment Karagjozi and Others v. Albania [Committee] (nos. 25408/06 and 9 others, 8   April 2014) in so far as that judgment refers to the Okaj family members (application Okaj v. Albania , no. 15075/09). It concerns the applicants’ complaints under Articles 6 and 13 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention about the alleged failure of the domestic authorities to enforce a final decision awarding the applicants compensation instead of the restitution of property. 2 .     On 3 October 1995 the Shkodra Commission on Restitution and Compensation of Property (the “Shkodra Commission”) restored the inherited property title to the heirs of Y.O. on three plots of land measuring 4,910 sq. m, 1,880 sq. m and 1,640 sq. m, respectively, totalling 8,430 sq. m. It further decided that the heirs of Y.O. would be compensated in one of the ways provided for by law in respect of another plot of land measuring 2,833   sq. m. Finally, it recognised the heirs’ right to first refusal of a further plot of land measuring 14,537 sq. m (see Karagjozi and Others , cited above, § 31). 3.     On 8 November 2006 the Shkodra District Court granted the claim of the applicants in the present application, members of the Kuçi family, to be recognised as heirs of Y.O., and owners of four-fifths of the property from the above-mentioned decision of the Shkodra Commission of 3 October 1995, and it obliged the members of the Okaj family, also heirs of Y.O., to recognise the present applicants as co-heirs of that property. 4.     The judgment of 8 November 2006 was upheld on appeal on 28   June   2007 and then by the Supreme Court on 28   October   2011. 5.     On 7 March 2009 the members of the Okaj family brought their application to the Court, claiming the domestic authorities’ failure to enforce the decision of 3 October 1995 of the Shkodra Commission (see paragraph 2 above) - a final administrative decision constituting a property title - restoring to the Okaj applicants certain plots of land. 6.     On 8 April 2014 the Court in the above-mentioned judgment of Karagjozi and Others , found, inter alia , that the right to a fair trial and to peaceful enjoyment of their possessions of the applicants in the Okaj case had been violated because of the failure of the domestic authorities over many years to enforce domestic decisions and to pay the compensation awarded to them (see § 54 of the Karagjozi and Others judgment). 7.     The Court awarded the applicants in the Okaj case 820,500 euros (EUR) in compensation for the pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage resulting from the violations found, in relation to either resore to them or compensate them for the three plots of land plot measuring in total 8,430   square metres (see Karagjozi and Others , cited above, §§ 31-34, and 58) . 8.     On 11 March 2015 the Council of Ministers of Albania approved Decision no. 217 on enforcement of the Court’s judgment in the case Karagjozi and Others   v.   Albania , including also the case of Okaj v. Albania . 9.     On 14 May 2015 the representative of the Kuçi family requested the State Advocate to ask for the suspension of the execution of the Court’s judgment in the case of Karagjozi and Others in so far as it concerned the Okaj family, claiming that it would contravene the final judgment of domestic courts which had recognised the ownership of the Kuçi family members on four-fifths of the contested property, and that it would impose additional obligations on the Albanian State. 10 .     On 1 July 2015 the State Advocate’s Office lodged with the Court a request for the revision of its judgment in the case Karagjozi and Others   v.   Albania . 11 .     On 3 December 2015 the Court dismissed the Government’s request for revision. 12. The judgment Karagjozi and Others , in so far as it concerned the case of Okaj, has been enforced, and in 2015 the members of the Okaj family were paid the compensation awarded by the Court (see the Government communication to the Committee of Ministers in DH-DD(2018)592, and Resolution CM/ResDH(2018)349, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 20 September 2018 at the 1324th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies). RELEVANT DOMESTIC LAW 13.     Article 349 of the Civil Code provides that an heir may file a civil claim against anyone who is in possession of any part of his inherited property, seeking his recognition as an heir and that the possession of such property be given to him, as well as all assets (“ pasurisë ”) acquired from it, under the respective rules concerning possession in good faith or in bad faith. 14.     An overview of relevant domestic law and practice concerning Law no. 133/2015 of 5 December 2015 On the Treatment of Property and Finalisation of the Property Compensation Process (“the 2015   Property Act”) is presented in the case of Beshiri and Others v. Albania ((dec.), nos.   29026/06 and 11 others, §§ 29-109, 17 March 2020). THE COURT’S ASSESSMENT The parties’ arguments 15.     In their additional observations submitted in 2024 the Government contended, inter alia , that the applicants had not properly exhausted domestic remedies, as they had not sought from domestic courts a compensation of their share of property as the heirs of Y.O. by the Shkodra Commission decision of 3 October 1995. Furthermore, the applicants had not made use of the remedy under Article 349 of the Civil Code, nor the remedies under the 2015 Property Act. 16.     The applicants argued that the domestic courts, or any other domestic authority, did not have the competence to alter or to act in contravention of the Court’s judgment. They further submitted that they had no effective domestic remedy for the recognition of their share of the property concerned. The Court’s assessment 17.     The general principles on exhaustion of domestic remedies have been summarised in Vučković and Others v. Serbia (preliminary objection) ([GC], nos. 17153/11 and 29 others, §§ 69-77, 25 March 2014, and Gherghina v.   Romania ((dec.) [GC], no. 42219/07, §§ 83‑89, 9 July 2015). 18.     In the above-cited case of Beshiri and Others , the Court held that the 2015 Property Act   had been designed to address the issue of enforcing former owners’ right to compensation in an effective and meaningful manner, taking account of the Convention requirements, and that the 2015 Property Act applied to all individuals who had lodged an application with the Court before the entry into force of the 2015 Property Act (see, in particular, §§ 215 and 217). 19.     Turning to the present case, the Court notes that the Shkodra District Court judgment of 8 November 2006, as finally confirmed by the Supreme Court on 28 October 2011, recognised the members of the Kuçi family as co ‑ heirs to the property subject of the Shkodra Commission Decision of 3   October 1995. Accordingly, on the basis of that judgment the applicants may seek before the domestic courts to recover their share of property at issue from third parties, including their share of any compensation obtained for the State’s failure to enforce the Shkodra Commission decision of 3   October 1995. If they wish to do so, they can also seek any damages that could have arisen in this respect. However, there is no evidence that the applicants have used such remedies. 20.     Alternatively, as indicated by the Government in its submissions, they may pursue any remedies under the 2015 Property Act for the authorities’ failure to compensate them for their inherited share of the property subject to the Shkodra Commission Decision of 3 October 1995. 21.     Accordingly, this complaint must be rejected under Article   35 §§   1 and   4 of the Convention for non-exhaustion of domestic remedies. 22.     The Court therefore considers that the applicants’ complaint under Article 13 of the Convention is manifestly ill ‑ founded and must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 and 4 of the Convention. For these reasons, the Court, unanimously, Declares the application inadmissible. Done in English and notified in writing on 4 July 2024.     Olga Chernishova   Ioannis Ktistakis   Deputy Registrar   President   APPENDIX List of applicants   Application no. 46106/15 No. Applicant’s Name Year of birth/registration Nationality Place of residence 1. Muhamet KUÇI 1950 Albanian Shkodër 2. Valdete BALLAJ (KOTRRI) 1950 Albanian Shkodër 3. Liljana BUSHATI (KOTRRI) 1960 Albanian Shkodër 4. Drita DERVISHI (KOTRRI) 1949 Albanian Tiranë 5. Bashkim DUMA 1948 Albanian Shkodër 6. Besim DUMA 1950 Albanian Shkodër 7. Burhan DUMA 1941 Albanian Shkodër 8. Mehmet DUMA 1936 Albanian Sant Antonio 9. Mzyafer DUMA 1953 Albanian Shkodër 10. Fitnete HYSAJ (SUMA) 1963 Albanian Jacksonville FI 11. Hyrije ISUFI (KRAJA) 1936 Albanian Shkodër 12. Abaz KOTRRI 1935 Albanian Shkodër 13. Enver KOTRRI 1952 Albanian Shkodër 14. Petrit KOTRRI 1961 Albanian Shkodër 15. Skender KOTRRI 1957 Albanian Shkodër 16. Edmond KRAJA 1968 Albanian Shkodër 17. Lindita KRAJA 1972 Albanian Shkodër 18. Mirjeta KRAJA 1974 Albanian Tiranë 19. Muhamet KRAJA 1936 Albanian Shkodër 20. Sabahete KRAJA 1945 Albanian Shkodër 21. Sejfullah KRAJA 1944 Albanian Shkodër 22. Minire KRAJA (KUÇI) 1943 Albanian Shkodër 23. Bujar KUÇI 1956 Albanian Shkodër 24. Dilaver KUÇI 1958 Albanian Shkodër 25. Faik KUÇI 1953 Albanian Shkodër 26. Mit-Hat KUÇI 1945 Albanian Shkodër 27. Bukurije PIRANEJ (KUÇI) 1948 Albanian Shkodër 28. Dashamir PLORI 1968 Albanian Shkodër 29. Mentor PLORI 1970 Albanian Shkodër 30. Sabahete PLORI (DUMA) 1944 Albanian Shkodër 31. Sabahete SEITAJ (SUMA) 1968 Albanian Shkodër 32. Suzana SELHANEJ (KOTTRI) 1955 Albanian Shkodër 33. Eqrem SUMA 1966 Albanian Shkodër 34. Xhevrije SUMA 1935 Albanian Shkodër