CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 14 mars 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 } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .sD35C6159 { width:1.54pt; display:inline-block } .sF9A986A5 { width:12.2pt; 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     140   14.3.2002   Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING ON ADMISSIBILITY AND THE MERITS IN THE CASES OF SULEJMANOVIC & OTHERS v. ITALY   and SEJDOVIC & SULEJMANOVIC v. ITALY   Thursday, 14 March 2002 at 9 a.m.   The applicants   Paso, Hadzira and Nenad Sulejmanovic and Halida Sultanovic, Fatima Sejdovic and Izet Sulejmanovic were born in 1949, 1951, 1980, 1978, 1975 and 1973 respectively. They are of gypsy origin, but their nationality is unknown. The first two applicants are a married couple. They arrived in Italy, most probably in 1991, allegedly fleeing the war in Yugoslavia with their eight children, including their son, Nenad, the third applicant. They also lodged their application on behalf of their seven minor children. Halida Sultanovic is the wife of Nenad Sulejmanovic.   Summary of the facts   In 1995, when the applicants were living in the Casilino 700 travellers’ camp, Rome City Council organised a census of the traveller population, in the course of which the applicants’ names and photographs were entered in records. According to an ordinance of Rome City Council dated 23 January 1996, the census revealed that 5,467 travellers were living at 50   different places (organised camps or squatters’ settlements) within the territory of the municipality. At the organised camp of Casilino 700 there were 927 travellers. By the ordinance, the City Council prohibited the establishment of new squatters’ settlements and required travellers seeking admission to, or authorisation to remain in, the organised camps to produce a valid residence permit.   On 3 March 2000 the applicants were deported to Bosnia pursuant to deportation orders previously served on them. They allege that at about 2 a.m. they were woken up by some 400 police officers and forced to leave their caravans at gunpoint. Once their identities had been established, they were taken to Fiumicino Airport, placed on a specially chartered aircraft and flown to Sarajevo. Altogether fifty-six gypsies from the Casilino 700 and Tor de’ Cenci camps were deported.   One of the first applicant’s sons, a married man and the father of two seriously ill children, apparently   remained in Rome. One of the minor children deported, Alissa, is a Down’s syndrome child, and had allegedly undergone heart surgery in Rome shortly before being deported.   Complaints   The applicants have made several complaints about their expulsion, relying on Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life), Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment), Article 4 of Protocol No. 4 (prohibition of collective expulsion of aliens), Article   14 (prohibition of discrimination), Article 13 (right to an effective remedy) and Article 1 of Protocol No. 7 (procedural safeguards relating to expulsion of aliens) of the European Convention on Human Rights. They have also made complaints concerning the period prior to their expulsion under Articles 3 and 14.   Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Court of Human Rights on 18 May 2000.   Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by a Chamber composed as follows:   Christos Rozakis (Greek), President Françoise Tulkens (Belgian), Peer Lorenzen (Danish), Nina Vajić (Croatian), Egils Levits (Latvian), Anatoly Kovler (Russian), Vladimiro Zagrebelsky (Italian), judges , Giovanni Bonello (Maltese), Snejana Botoucharova (Bulgarian), Elisabeth Steiner (Austrian), substitute judges ,   and also Søren Nielsen , Section Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government:   Francesco Crisafulli , Deputy co-Agent ;   Applicants:   Nicolò Paoletti, Mrs Mari, Counsel .   ***   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.