CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 19 février 2002

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .s5FFF0A77 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:1pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .sA1D3DA2E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s94935B0F { width:389.85pt; display:inline-block } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s75AF5381 { font-family:Arial; font-size:8pt; display:none } .s4E6AD99 { margin-top:0pt; margin-left:84.75pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:-84.75pt; text-align:justify } .sA56A56B5 { width:12.05pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s6107BC22 { width:23.02pt; display:inline-block } .s9E97F54A { width:85.05pt; display:inline-block } .sCB27B9E { width:16.66pt; display:inline-block } .sC5412BEF { width:51.05pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic }   EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS     088   19.2.2002   Press release issued by the Registrar   Hearing on the admissibility and merits in the case of Zehnalová and Zehnal v. the Czech Republic   Tuesday 19 February 2002 at 9 a.m.   The applicants   The case concerns an application (no.   38621/97) brought by two Czech nationals, Jitka Zehnalová and Otto Zehnal, who were born in 1962 and 1958 respectively and live in Přerov (Czech Republic).   Summary of the facts   The case concerns, in particular, an alleged infringement of the right to respect for the applicants’ private life without discrimination and the right to an effective remedy before a national authority. The first applicant is physically disabled and the second applicant is her husband. In their home town many public buildings are not equipped with access facilities for the disabled, notwithstanding the fact that such buildings do not conform with Czech law unless certain measures are adopted making them accessible to people with reduced mobility. With a view to putting a stop to the breach of their rights and those of other people with disabilities, the applicants requested first the administrative authorities and then the courts, including the Constitutional Court, to rule that the certificates declaring the buildings to be in conformity with the law were invalid. No decision on the merits has been delivered, however.   Complaints   Relying on Articles 1 (obligation to respect human rights), 3 (prohibition of degrading treatment), 8 (right to respect for private life) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights, the applicants complain of having suffered discrimination in the enjoyment of their rights on account of the first applicant’s physical condition. They also allege a breach of Articles 6 (right of access to a court) and 13 (right to an effective remedy) of the Convention because they did not have an effective remedy before a national authority.   Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 17   February 1997 and referred to the European Court of Human Rights on 1 November 1998.           Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by a Chamber composed as follows:   Jean-Paul Costa (French), President, Loukis Loucaides (Cypriot), Corneliu Bîrsan (Romanian), Karel Jungwiert (Czech), Volodymyr Butkevych (Ukrainian), Wilhelmina Thomassen (Dutch), Mindia Ugrekhelidze (Georgian), judges, András Baka (Hungarian), Gaukur Jörundsson (Icelandic), Antonella Mularoni (San Marinese), substitute judges ,   and also Sally Dollé , Section Registrar .   Representatives of the parties     Government   :   Alois Dvořák , Agent , Eva Vachovcová , Eva Petrová, Katerina Sirotková , Jiří Just , Eva   Hašková, Advisers   ;   Applicants   :   Pavel Šturma, Counsel   Jiří Ondroušek , Adéla Klírová , Advisers .   Jitka Zehnalová and Otto Zehnal will also attend the hearing.   ***   After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. The decision on admissibility will be delivered at a later date.   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contacts:   Roderick Liddell (telephone: (0)3 88 41 24 92)   Emma Hellyer (telephone: (0)3 90 21 42 15) Fax: (0)3 88 41 27 91   The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. On 1 November 1998 a full-time Court was established, replacing the original two-tier system of a part-time Commission and Court.