Case law

🇪🇺 1. The applicant alleges that he belonged to the lowest caste of “pariahs” in the informal hierarchy that, according to him, prevails in Moldovan prisons, and that on account of that status he was subjected to restrictions, humiliations and forced labour. The application raises questions primarily under Articles 3, 4 and 14 of the…

🇱🇻 I had the great honour and privilege of speaking with staff from the Prison Service of the Republic of Latvia. Words can hardly capture my gratitude — and genuine delight — at the warmth of what I encountered when I visited the newly established Training Centre for Prison Officers and met with so many…

🇲🇩 “Makena”, the notorious leader of the criminal organization, has received a definitive 25-year prison sentence. This comes after the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) successfully argued in court that the defendant orchestrated the 2008 assassination of a rival crime boss. While the Chișinău Court initially sentenced him to 21…

In this study, we raise the issues of the origins of Soviet criminal and prison subculture, the corresponding informal prisoner hierarchies, and the current state of this social and cultural phenomenon in post-Soviet states. Accordingly, we raise questions about the historical origins and preconditions for the formation of the phenomenon, which continues to influence the…

This monograph was prepared and published during my work and research at the University of Tübingen as part of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and I am grateful to all the staff of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung and the coordinators of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative for their assistance in publishing…

On May 16, 2025, the Supreme Court blocked President Trump from moving forward with deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act for a group of immigrants in northern Texas, siding with Venezuelans who feared they were poised for imminent removal under the sweeping wartime authority. The decision is a significant loss for Trump, who wants…

In the predawn hours of Saturday, March 15, five Venezuelan noncitizens being held in Texas by the Department of Homeland Security sought emergency relief in this Court. They justifiably feared that, in a matter of hours, they might be removed from the country pursuant not to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, but instead…

The applicant alleged, in particular, that the strip searches to which he had been subjected while in detention at Lublin Remand Centre had been in breach of Articles 3 and 8 of the Convention. 6.  On 10 October 2008 the applicant was arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of his brother, K.D. 7.  On 25 March…