30/01/2008 - European Court sets March deadline for Russia to respond to Aleksanyan case; reaffirms injunction requiring his transfer to AIDS hospital for life-saving treatment
European Court sets March deadline for Russia to respond to Aleksanyan case; reaffirms injunction requiring his transfer to AIDS hospital for life-saving treatment30 January 2008
Lawyers for Vasiliy Aleksanyan, the former vice-president of Yukos, currently being detained and awaiting trial by the Russian government, have welcomed the decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to accelerate his case.
Last week, the ECHR reaffirmed its decision of 27 November 2007 that Mr Aleksanyan must be moved immediately to 'a hospital specialised in the treatment of AIDS and concomitant diseases'. This is despite claims by the Russian prison officials that the prison where Mr. Aleksanyan is being held is sufficiently equipped to deal with AIDS patients. Mr. Aleksanyan maintains that vital antiretroviral therapy is being withheld from him.
Doctors familiar with Aleksanyan's medical file have stated that he is at "imminent risk of dying" and that "without urgent appropriate treatment, his prognosis is bleak".
The ECHR has communicated a number of formal questions that require a response from the Russia Government by 7 March 2008. These bring into question the treatment of Mr Aleksanyan in light of specific articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, highlighting the extent to which Russia has contravened the standards that it has signed up to. These questions cover issues such as whether Mr Aleksanyan's medical condition is compatible with his detention at all, whether he received treatment appropriate for his medical condition, why the Russian courts refused to release him on health grounds as previously requested and why the Russian government has ignored previous requests from the ECHR in November and December of last year.
In view of the gravity of Mr Aleksanyan's health, the Court has also decided to accelerate his case using a streamlined procedure; it has stated that it may adopt an immediate judgment after receiving the parties' submissions.
Drew Holiner, Mr Aleksanyan's representative before the Court said, 'it is highly irregular that the Russian government has ignored repeated interim measures from the European Court, particularly given that a man's life is at stake, and the fact that the European Court is accelerating his case underscores that it takes the matter very seriously.'
'I hope that the Russian government will come to its senses and comply immediately with the binding interim measure issued by the European Court. Vasily needs to be transferred to the Moscow AIDS Centre so that he can receive the treatment necessary to save his life.'
