CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 31 août 1999

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s3F59B822 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; text-transform:uppercase } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .sA1D3DA2E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s44EC9D0F { width:404pt; display:inline-block } .s40F41F73 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s98A7B623 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s23A41E03 { width:36pt; display:inline-block } .s4954B46 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:28.35pt; text-align:justify } .s241FF221 { margin-top:0pt; margin-left:28.35pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s3964C3A3 { width:1.36pt; display:inline-block } .s8F6EDF25 { width:42.7pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s85016119 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify; font-size:11pt } European Court of Human Rights     434 31.8.1999     Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING IN THE CASE OF KHALFAOUI v.   FRANCE   Tuesday, 31 August 1999 at 9 a.m.     The applicant     The case concerns an application (application no. 34791/97) lodged by an Algerian national, Faouzi Khalfaoui, who was born in 1961 and lives in Tunis (Tunisia).   Summary of the facts   On 21 November 1995 the applicant was convicted of indecent assault by the Besançon Court of Appeal. With the intention of lodging an appeal on points of law, he asked the Court of Appeal to exempt him, on medical grounds, from the obligation to surrender to custody before the hearing in the Court of Cassation. That obligation is laid down by Article 583 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. A convicted person who has not been exempted or fails to surrender to custody forfeits the right to appeal on points of law. In a judgment of 19   September 1996 the Court of Appeal refused to grant exemption in the present case and on 24 September 1996 the Court of Cassation ruled that Mr Khalfaoui had forfeited the right to appeal.   Complaint     Mr Khalfaoui complains that he did not have a fair trial, in breach of Article 6 § 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, in that he did not have access to the Court of Cassation.   Procedure     The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 27   January 1997 and declared admissible on 2 March 1999.   Composition of the Cour   Nicolas Bratza (British), President, Jean-Paul Costa (French), Loukis Loucaides (Cypriot), Françoise Tulkens (Belgian), Willi Fuhrmann (Austrian), Karel Jungwiert (Czech), Kristaq Traja (Albanian), Judges, Pranas Kūris (Lithuanian), Substitute Judges, Hanne Sophie Greve (Norwegian),   and also Sally Dollé , Section Registrar .     Representatives of the parties   Government :   Ronny Abraham , Agent ; Michèle Dubrocard , Antoine Buchet , counsel .   Applicant (not present):   Basile Ader , Didier Bouthors , Véronica de Soete , counsel .     ***     After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. Judgment 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) Or   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 1959 in Strasbourg 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 Court and Commission.