European Court of Human Rights Cancels Hearings Until End of April Due to COVID-19
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has canceled its scheduled hearings until the end of April, as part of a range of emergency measures announced on Monday amid the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, the court announced in a press release
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th March, 2020) The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has canceled its scheduled hearings until the end of April, as part of a range of emergency measures announced on Monday amid the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, the court announced in a press release.
"The premises of the European Court of Human Rights are no longer accessible to the public and the hearings scheduled for March and April are cancelled, pending further decisions," the statement read.
Priority cases and other essential activities will be conducted by video conference while the premises are not publicly accessible, the ECHR said in the statement.
Additionally, the ECHR has suspended the six-month time limit for filing applications, while the time limits in proceedings that have currently been filed are also suspended for one month.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) also announced on Monday the cancellation of the spring plenary session, which was scheduled to take place from April 20-24, due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
"PACE President Rik Daems consulted the Bureau of the Assembly before taking the decision, which is aimed at protecting the safety and well-being of Assembly members, guests and staff," a press release on the assembly's official website read.
Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian lower house's foreign affairs committee, told reporters on Friday of PACE's planned cancellation of the spring plenary session.
On March 9, PACE announced the postponement of all meetings of its parliamentary assembly and subsidiary bodies until the end of March.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 57,771 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the EU, UK, and countries part of the European Economic Area as of 07:00 GMT on Monday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, at a press conference earlier in the day, announced plans to impose a 30-day ban on all non-essential travel to the EU to slow the spread of the outbreak.