CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 11 mars 2003

.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 } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s94935B0F { width:389.85pt; display:inline-block } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .sCB9E0544 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s61E420C2 { font-family:Arial; font-variant:small-caps } .s69BE285C { margin-top:0pt; margin-left:85.05pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:-85.05pt } .s18D96D33 { width:15.69pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s32AFAD20 { width:26.35pt; text-indent:0pt; display:inline-block } .s3964C3A3 { width:1.36pt; display:inline-block } .s901C2590 { width:56.7pt; display:inline-block }   EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS     132   11.3.2003   Press release issued by the Registrar   CHAMBER HEARING ON THE MERITS IN THE CASE OF HARTMAN v. THE CZECH REPUBLIC   Tuesday 11 March 2003 at 2.30 p.m.   The applicants   The case concerns an application (no. 53341/99) brought by Jan Hartman, a dual Czech and French national who lives in Sapois (France), and his brother, Jiří Hartman, an American national who re-acquired Czech nationality in 1999. Jiří Hartman died in May 2002, but the Court has decided that his son, Nicholas Perizad Hartman, has standing to pursue the proceedings.   Summary of the facts   On 31 December 1948 the applicants left former Czechoslovakia clandestinely. After they had emigrated, all their property was sequestrated and administered by the local communist authorities. On 1 July 1955 the Klatovy People’s Court ( lidový soud ) confiscated it. After the change of regime in 1989, the applicants took steps to recover their property. In 1992 Jan Hartman applied for restitution of the family villa in Želizy, but later decided to withdraw his application. His brother Jiří brought a similar action on 18 October 1995, which was dismissed by the Court of First Instance on 5 April 2000.   Jan Hartman lodged an application with Mĕlník District Court on 17 November 1992 for the recovery of land in Želizy. His application was dismissed in a judgment of 24 May 2000. Appeal proceedings are still pending.   The applicants also claimed title to four houses with adjoining land in Prague districts 4 and 7. On 17 October 1995 Jiří Hartman brought two sets of proceedings for recovery of that property. According to the Government, the proceedings relating to the property in Prague district 4 had definitively ended with the dismissal of his action on 11 June 1999, and those relating to the property in the other district with the dismissal of his appeal on 10 January 2002.   Complaints   Relying on Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial within a reasonable time) of the European Convention on Human Rights, the applicants complain of the length of the proceedings for recovery of their property. They allege, under Article 13 (right to an effective remedy), that they did not have a remedy by which to challenge the length of the proceedings. Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 21   March 1996 and transmitted to the European Court of Human Rights on 1 November 1998. On 17 December 2002 it was declared partly admissible by the Second Section of the Court.   Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by a Chamber composed as follows:   Jean-Paul Costa (French), President , András Baka (Hungarian), Gaukur Jörundsson (Icelandic), Karel Jungwiert (Czech), Volodymyr Butkevych (Ukrainian), Wilhelmina Thomassen (Netherlands), Mindia Ugrekhelidze (Georgian), judges , Loukis Loucaides (Cypriot) , Corneliu Bîrsan (Romanian) , Antonella Mularoni (San Marinese) , substitute judges , and also Sally Dollé , Section Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government:   Vít Schorm , Agent , Monika Králíková , Eva Vachovcová and Jiří Kmec , Counsel ;   Applicants:   Milan Hulík , Counsel .   Jan Hartman and Nicholas Perizad Hartman will also attend the hearing.   ***   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: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 24 92)   Joanna Reynell (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 90 21 42 15)   Stéphanie Klein (telephone: +00 33 (0)3 88 41 21 54) Fax: +00 33 (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.