CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 1 décembre 1999

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .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 } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s33165EBA { font-family:Arial; font-size:8pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } .sD35C6159 { width:1.54pt; display:inline-block } .s4598CDF { width:70.9pt; display:inline-block } .s38DD6A04 { width:18.2pt; display:inline-block } .sCB27B9E { width:16.66pt; display:inline-block } .sC5412BEF { width:51.05pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .sF6A12959 { width:33%; height:1px; text-align:left } .s2EB42ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt } .s653E6C45 { font-family:Arial; font-size:6.67pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS     682   1.12.99   Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING IN THE CASE OF THLIMMENOS v. GREECE   Wednesday, 1 December 1999 at 9 a.m.     The applicant   The case concerns an application (application no. 34369/97) brought by a Greek national, Iakovos Thlimmenos, who was born in 1955 and lives in Messinia. He is an accountant.   Summary of the facts   The applicant is a Jehovah’s Witness. On 9 December 1983 the Permanent Court Martial found him guilty of insubordination for refusing to enlist in the army for religious reasons. On 8 February 1989 the executive board of the Greek chartered accountants body refused to appoint him as a chartered accountant even though he had passed the relevant qualifying exam. Mr Thlimmenos appealed against this decision, but his appeal was finally rejected on 28 June 1996.   Complaints   The applicant complains of the unnecessary length of the proceedings under Article 6 § 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights. He also complains under Articles 9 (freedom of religion) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination) that Greek laws on appointing chartered accountants fail to distinguish between people convicted of ordinary criminal offences and those convicted of refusing to do military service for religious reasons.   Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 18   December 1996. Having declared the application admissible, the Commission adopted a report on 4 December 1998 in which it expressed the opinion that there had been a violation of Article 9 in conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention (twenty two votes to six) and a violation of Article 6 § 1 (unanimously). It referred the case to the Court on 22 March 1999. Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by the Grand Chamber composed as follows:   Luzius Wildhaber (Swiss), President , Elisabeth Palm (Swedish), Luigi Ferrari Bravo [1] (Italian), Lucius Caflisch [2] (Swiss), Jean-Paul Costa (French), Willi Fuhrmann (Austrian), Karel Jungwiert (Czech), Marc Fischbach (Luxemburger), Boštjan Zupančič (Slovenian), Nina Vajić (Croatian), John Hedigan (Irish), Wilhelmina Thomassen (Dutch), Margarita Tsatsa-Nikolovska (FYROMacedonia), Tudor Panţîru (Moldovan), Egils Levits (Latvian), Kristaq Traja (Albanian), Judges , Georgios Koumantos (Greek), ad hoc Judge , Rait Maruste (Estonian), Snejana Botoucharova (Bulgarian), Hanne Sophie Greve (Norwegian), Substitute Judges ,   and also Maud de Boer-Buquicchio , Deputy Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government:   Fokion Georgakopoulos , Agent ,   Konstantinos Georgiadis , Adviser ,   Applicant:   Nicos Alivizatos , 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)   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. [1] Elected as the judge in respect of San Marino. [2] Elected as the judge in respect of Liechtenstein.