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KHRISTIANSKO SDRUZHENIE "SVIDETELI NA IEHOVA" (CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES) v. BULGARIA

Doc ref: 28626/95 • ECHR ID: 001-45968

Document date: March 9, 1998

Inbound citations: 6
•
Cited paragraphs: 0
•
Outbound citations: 0

KHRISTIANSKO SDRUZHENIE "SVIDETELI NA IEHOVA" (CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES) v. BULGARIA

Doc ref: 28626/95 • ECHR ID: 001-45968

Document date: March 9, 1998

Cited paragraphs only

EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Application No. 28626/95

Khristiansko Sdruzhenie "Svideteli na Iehova"

(Christian Association Jehovah's Witnesses)

against

Bulgaria

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION

(adopted on 9 March 1998)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

PART I : STATEMENT OF THE FACTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

PART II : SOLUTION REACHED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

INTRODUCTION

1. This Report relates to the application introduced under

Article 25 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human

Rights and Fundamental Freedoms by Khristiansko Sdruzhenie "Svideteli

na Iehova" (Christian Association Jehovah's Witnesses) against Bulgaria

on 6 September 1995. The application was registered on 21 September

1995 under file No. 28626/95.

2. The applicant association was represented by MM Alain Garay and

Philippe Goni, lawyers practising in Paris.

3. The Government of Bulgaria were represented by their Agent, Mrs

Guenka Beleva and, subsequently, by Mr Vladimir Sotirov of the Ministry

of Foreign Affairs and by Mrs Violina Djidjeva, co-agent.

4. On 3 July 1997 the Commission declared the application

admissible. It then proceeded to carry out its task under Article 28

para. 1 of the Convention which provides as follows:

"In the event of the Commission accepting a petition referred to

it:

a. it shall, with a view to ascertaining the facts, undertake

together with the representatives of the parties an examination

of the petition and, if need be, an investigation, for the

effective conduct of which the States concerned shall furnish all

necessary facilities, after an exchange of views with the

Commission;

b. it shall at the same time place itself at the disposal of

the parties concerned with a view to securing a friendly

settlement of the matter on the basis of respect for Human Rights

as defined in this Convention."

5. The Commission found that the parties had reached a friendly

settlement of the case and on 9 March 1998 adopted this Report, which,

in accordance with Article 28 para. 2 of the Convention, is confined

to a brief statement of the facts and of the solution reached.

6. The following members were present when the Report was adopted:

MM S. TRECHSEL, President

J.-C. GEUS

M.P. PELLONPÄÄ

E. BUSUTTIL

G. JÖRUNDSSON

A.S. GÖZÜBÜYÜK

A. WEITZEL

J.-C. SOYER

H. DANELIUS

Mrs G.H. THUNE

MM F. MARTINEZ

C.L. ROZAKIS

Mrs J. LIDDY

MM L. LOUCAIDES

M.A. NOWICKI

I. CABRAL BARRETO

B. CONFORTI

N. BRATZA

I. BÉKÉS

J. MUCHA

D. SVÁBY

G. RESS

A. PERENIC

C. BÎRSAN

K. HERNDL

E. BIELIUNAS

E.A. ALKEMA

M. VILA AMIGÓ

Mrs M. HION

MM R. NICOLINI

A. ARABADJIEV

PART I

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

7. The applicant is a religious association based in Sofia.

8. The applicant association was founded and registered in 1991

under the Persons and Family Act. In 1994 the Act was amended to the

effect that religious associations were required to re-register subject

to the consent of the Council of Ministers. The registration of an

association which had not received authorisation to re-register from

the Council of Ministers was to be cancelled.

9. The applicant association applied to the Council of Ministers for

authorisation to re-register. The Council of Ministers did not react

to the applicant's requests for a hearing. On 28 June 1994 the Council

of Ministers adopted Decision No. 255 thereby refusing authorisation.

The decision stated that it was based on Section 133a and the

transitional provision of the Persons and Family Act; no further

reasoning was provided.

10. The applicant association did not receive an official copy of

this decision. Members of the applicant association first became aware

of its contents on 5 August 1994 during a police action in the town of

Haskovo. On 9 September 1994 Decision No. 255 was published in the

State Gazette, the official organ of the State.

11. On 15 September 1994 the applicant association appealed to the

Supreme Court against Decision No. 255. On 13 March 1995 the Supreme

Court dismissed the appeal. The Court found that it could only examine

whether the Council of Ministers had acted within its competence.

12. Following the adoption of Decision No. 255 various measures were

taken against the activities of the applicant association and of its

members. These included arrests, dispersal of meetings held in public

and private locations and confiscation of religious materials.

13. Before the Commission the applicant association complained under

Articles 9, 10, 11 and 14 of the Convention of the suspension of its

registration and activities. The applicant association also complained

under Article 6 of the Convention that it had no access to a court

competent to decide on the merits. The applicant association further

complained under Article 10 of the Convention of hostile media reports,

including interviews with public officials, and of the alleged

impossibility to publish material in response.

PART II

SOLUTION REACHED

14. Following the decision on the admissibility of the application,

the Commission placed itself at the disposal of the parties with a view

to securing a friendly settlement in accordance with Article 28 para.

1 (b) of the Convention and invited the parties to submit any proposals

they wished to make.

15. In accordance with the usual practice, the Secretary, acting on

the Commission's instructions, contacted the parties to explore the

possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.

16. By letters of 8 and 12 September 1997 the parties indicated their

willingness to reach a friendly settlement. The parties exchanged

correspondence and proposals for a friendly settlement and held

meetings in Sofia on 20 and 21 November 1997. On 17 January 1998, upon

the parties' request, the Commission made proposals to the parties with

a view to resolving some remaining differences in their positions. The

parties again met in Sofia on 10 February 1998.

17. By letters of 10 and 11 February 1998 the parties informed the

Commission of the final text of the friendly settlement. This text,

compiled on the basis of the correspondence received from the parties,

reads as follows:

"I. Concernant la substitution du service militaire par un

service alternatif, le Gouvernement Bulgare s'engage à déposer

au Parlement un projet de loi, dans les meilleurs délais,

instituant un service civil alternatif au service militaire.

1.1. Le projet, selon l'avis de la requérante, répond

aux exigences des objecteurs de conscience, fidèles des

Témoins de Jéhovah, qui souhaitent effectuer un service

civil alternatif en remplacement du service militaire.

1.2. Le projet de loi définitif, déposé par le Conseil

des Ministres au Parlement, sera soumis immédiatement à la

Commission européenne des Droits de l'Homme.

II. Concernant la position des Témoins de Jéhovah sur le

sang, la requérante s'engage à rédiger une déclaration, qui sera

annexée de façon intégrante aux statuts des Témoins de Jéhovah

de Bulgarie en vue de son immatriculation, stipulant que :

2.1. - les patients Témoins de Jéhovah recourent

systématiquement aux soins médicaux pour eux-mêmes et leurs

enfants ; il appartient à chacun d'entre eux d'utiliser son

libre arbitre, sans aucun contrôle et sanction de la part

de la requérante ;

2.2. - s'agissant du respect de la législation

sanitaire bulgare, l'association chrétienne les Témoins de

Jéhovah de Bulgarie s'engage à respecter son application,

y compris :

2.2.1. - en ne fournissant pas de déclaration

préalable de refus de transfusion de sang aux personnes

mineures;

2.2.2. - en ce qui concerne les personnes

majeures, en observant les dispositions de ladite

législation et en reconnaissant à chaque individu la

liberté de choix.

III. Concernant la reconnaissance du culte des Témoins de

Jéhovah, par l'Etat Bulgare, comme religion officielle :

3.1. L'association chrétienne les Témoins de Jéhovah

s'engage à retirer sa requête contre la Bulgarie déposée

devant la Commission européenne des Droits de l'Homme ;

3.2. En conséquence, compte tenu du retrait de la

requête, le Gouvernement Bulgare, s'engage à immatriculer

les Témoins de Jéhovah en Bulgarie, en tant que culte,

conformément à la loi sur les confessions religieuses.

3.3. En conséquence, compte tenu du retrait de la

requête, le Gouvernement Bulgare s'engage également Ã

révoquer le point 16 de l'annexe 2 au point 4 de l'arrêté

du Conseil des Ministres n° 255 de 1994.

IV. Seront appliquées les modalités techniques suivantes,

concernant la radiation de la requête, étant donné la décision

d'immatriculer les statuts de l'association à Sofia :

4.1. L'association requérante dépose à la Direction

des Affaires religieuses les statuts, conformes aux termes

du présent règlement amiable, et les autres documents exigés

pour l'immatriculation.

4.2. Après examen, la Direction des Affaires

religieuses constate la conformité des statuts aux termes

du présent règlement amiable et se prononce pour

l'immatriculation de l'association requérante.

4.3. L'association requérante retire sa requête

N° 28626/95.

4.4. La Direction des Affaires religieuses immatricule

l'association requérante conformément aux termes du présent

règlement amiable."

18. At its session on 9 March 1998, the Commission noted that the

parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement.

It further considered, having regard to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the

Convention, that the friendly settlement of the case had been secured

on the basis of respect for Human Rights as defined in the Convention.

For these reasons, the Commission adopted the present Report.

M. de SALVIA S. TRECHSEL

Secretary President

to the Commission of the Commission

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