A.S. v. SWITZERLAND
Doc ref: 12629/87;13965/88 • ECHR ID: 001-1026
Document date: November 9, 1989
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AS TO THE ADMISSIBILITY OF
Application No. 12629/87 and No. 13965/88
by A.S.
against Switzerland
The European Commission of Human Rights sitting in private
on 9 November 1989, the following members being present:
MM. C.A. NØRGAARD, President
J.A. FROWEIN
S. TRECHSEL
G. SPERDUTI
E. BUSUTTIL
G. JÖRUNDSSON
A.S. GÖZÜBÜYÜK
A. WEITZEL
J.-C. SOYER
H.G. SCHERMERS
G. BATLINER
J. CAMPINOS
H. VANDENBERGHE
Sir Basil HALL
MM. F. MARTINEZ
C.L. ROZAKIS
Mrs. J. LIDDY
Mr. L. LOUCAIDES
Mr. H.C. KRÜGER, Secretary to the Commission
Having regard to Article 25 of the Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;
Having regard to the applications introduced on
18 November 1986 and 28 May 1988 by A.S. against Switzerland
and registered on 5 January 1987 and 20 June 1988 under files
No. 12629/87 and No. 13965/88, respectively;
Having regard to the report provided for in Rule 40 of the
Rules of Procedure of the Commission;
Having deliberated;
Decides as follows:
THE FACTS
The facts of the case, as submitted by the parties, may be
summarised as follows:
The applicant, a Swiss citizen born in 1962, is a mason. When
filing the applications he was still detained in the District prison
of Affoltern Prison in Switzerland. On 15 September 1988 he was
released from detention on remand. Before the Commission he is
represented by Mr J.P. Garbade, a lawyer practising in Geneva and
Zurich.
The applicant has submitted two applications relating to his
contacts with his defence counsel during his detention on remand.
Application No. 12629/87 concerns the circumstances leading up to,
and including, the decision of the Federal Court (Bundesgericht) of
4 December 1985. Application No. 13965/88 concerns the subsequent
situation leading up to, and including, the decision of the Federal
Court of 30 November 1987.
I.
As from 1980 demonstrations took place in Winterthur
which were directed, inter alia, against an international arms fair
and the export of nuclear technology to a South American country.
In this context, buildings were occupied or sprayed with graffiti.
At the same time explosions, fires and floodings damaged
certain public and private buildings in Winterthur. An explosion
occurred in the home of Mr F., the then Federal Councillor (Bundesrat)
and Head of the Department of Justice and Police, causing damages of
approximately 20,000 CHF.
On 20 July 1984 the Winterthur police set up a task force to
investigate these offences. A number of persons living in a commune
in Winterthur were kept under surveillance, whereby, inter alia, their
telephones were tapped and the contents of their refuse bags analysed.
On 20 November 1984 27 persons were temporarily arrested. One Mr A.W.
was remanded in custody and eventually sentenced on 15 September 1986
by the Zurich Court of Appeal (Obergericht) to eight years'
imprisonment on the grounds of having prepared, with others, the
offences of arson and causing an explosion. Upon appeal, this sentence
was reduced to four years' imprisonment. While A.W. was remanded in
custody, he was represented by Mr R., a lawyer practising in Zurich
with whom he was able to communicate freely after 15 February 1985.
On 21 November 1984 the applicant was arrested in Geneva on
suspicion of having participated in the above offences. On the same
day, the applicant absconded.
He was again arrested on 30 March 1985. On 1 April 1985 the
applicant was heard by the Geneva authorities whereby he was charged
of the offences of theft and of damage to property. On 2 and 4 April
1985 the Federal Public Prosecutor (Bundesanwalt) transmitted to the
Geneva authorities statements raising charges against the applicant
which were served on him on 4 April 1985. On 10 April 1985 the
applicant was confronted with a number of charges, concerning inter
alia the explosion at Mr. F'.s house, by officials of the Federal
Public Prosecutor's Office. He did not make any statement.
On 22 May 1985 the criminal proceedings concerning the charges
brought by the Federal Prosecutor's Office were transferred to the
Zurich authorities, namely the Winterthur District Attorney's Office
(Bezirksanwaltschaft), and the applicant was brought, via Berne, to
Winterthur Prison. On 28 May 1988 he was heard by the Winterthur
District Attorney and charged with the offences of having caused
explosions at the home of Mr F. as well as of arson at a civil protection
centre. He was remanded in custody on the grounds of a danger of
absconding and of collusion. It was feared, in particular, that he
might conspire with other co-accused in order to procure an alibi.
The charges brought against the applicant were extended on 7
June 1985 to the offences of setting fire to two houses at rifle ranges
(Schützenhäuser) and of flooding a business house as well as damaging
property by spraying graffiti on walls.
On 19 July 1985 the charges brought by the Geneva authorities
were also transferred to the Wintherthur District Attorney's Office.
Other investigations conducted by the Geneva authorities concerning
arson, of which the applicant had so far not been charged, were also
transferred to Winterthur. The applicant was informed of these
charges on 6 September 1985.
II.
In April 1985 the applicant asked his mother to enquire
whether Mr R., the lawyer representing A.W., would also represent
him. On 30 April 1985 R. declined as he was overloaded with work,
though he recommended to the applicant a former office colleague of
his, namely the applicant's present lawyer. On 1 May 1985 the
applicant signed a power of attorney in favour of the present lawyer.
The applicant's oral communications with his present lawyer
were supervised from 31 May 1985 until 10 January 1986. Written
communications between the applicant and his lawyer were also
supervised. Thus, three letters of the applicant to his lawyer dated
4, 6 and 21 May 1985 were intercepted and later employed by the
authorities to prepare graphological expert opinions.
This supervision was based on S. 18 para. 2 of the Zurich Code
of Criminal Procedure (Strafprozessordnung) which envisages such
supervision in particular if there is a danger of collusion. In the
present case, according to a letter of the Winterthur Public
Prosecutor's Office of 12 June 1985, the Office saw such a danger of
collusion in the fact that the applicant's lawyer could conspire with
other lawyers or accused. In respect of the applicant, the Winterthur
District Attorney referred in the above order imposing detention on
remand on the applicant on 28 May 1985 to the danger that he would
otherwise procure an alibi. In the District Attorney's request to the
Public Prosecutor's Office (Staatsanwaltschaft) for a prolongation of
detention on remand of 9 September 1985, reference was made to the
danger that the applicant might conspire with other accused who had
meanwhile been released, or that he might influence evidence in his
favour.
Only twice did unsupervised visits occur. On 8 May 1985,
while still at Berne prison, the applicant was able freely to confer
with his present lawyer for thirty minutes. Later, at Winterthur
prison, the applicant was able once to confer freely with another
lawyer, Dr H., who visited him upon instructions of the applicant's
mother.
On 10 June 1985 the President of the Indictment Chamber
(Anklagekammer) of the Zurich Court of Appeal (Obergericht) officially
appointed, retroactively as from 4 May 1985, the applicant's defence
counsel. The President also extended the applicant's detention on
remand until 12 September 1985.
On 31 May 1985, the applicant conferred with his defence
counsel under the supervision of a certain Mr S., a police officer
dealing with the case (Sachbearbeiter). Mr S. took notes and after
one hour stopped the discussion between the applicant and the defence
counsel on the grounds that, in his view, they were no longer talking
about the proceedings and that he, Mr S., still had other business to
do.
III.
The applicant filed an appeal (Beschwerde) in which he
complained that he was not allowed freely to confer with his defence
counsel.
On 27 June 1985 the Indictment Chamber at the Zurich Court
of Appeal dismissed the appeal. It found that the applicant was
seriously suspected of having committed the various offences and that
there was a grave danger of collusion in view of the extremely complex
and voluminous investigations being conducted by the authorities. As
the applicant refused to speak with the authorities, he could easily
tamper with the evidence, particularly as most of the other co-accused,
with the exception of A.W., had been released from detention. The
Indictment Chamber observed that the applicant had maintained close
contacts with the other co-accused and that the offences with which
they were charged were very dangerous in that they constituted attacks
against the order of the State and society in general (Staats- und
Gesellschaftsordnung).
Finally, the Indictment Chamber saw a danger of unintentional
collusion by counsel, in that the applicant's defence counsel would
collaborate with the lawyer representing other co-accused, inter alia
with Mr R. who was defence counsel for A.W.
In a separate appeal (Rekurs) the applicant also complained
that he had not been able to consult all the documents of the file and
that the proceedings concerning the legality of his detention had been
conducted without an oral hearing. This appeal was dismissed by the
Indictment Chamber on 18 July 1985 which also upheld the extension of
the applicant's detention on remand until 12 September 1985 in view of
the existing danger of collusion and of absconding.
The applicant's detiention on remand was subsequently
prolonged on 9 September and 12 December 1985.
IV.
Against the decision of the Indictment Chamber of 27 June 1985
the applicant filed a further appeal (Rekurs) which was dismissed on
26 July 1985 by the Civil Chamber (Zivilkammer) at the Zurich Court of
Appeal.
The Civil Chamber found that, as the applicant refused to
testify, he was in a position to conspire with other persons involved
in the proceedings in order to coordinate (abstimmen) his eventual
depositions. It was to be assumed that the applicant would pursue such
a conspiracy with all possible means. Insofar as Dr H. had been able
freely to confer with the applicant, the Civil Chamber did not regard
as credible the submissions of the present lawyer according to which
his contacts with the lawyers representing the other co-accused were
not more intensive than those which Dr H. had with these lawyers. The
Civil Chamber noted that, Mr R., who was the defence counsel for A.W.,
had in fact told the District Attorney's Office that the various
lawyers would coordinate their position. The decision continues:
"Dieses Vorgehen ist zwar nicht unzulässig, doch muss es mit
dem Gebot der materiellen Wahrheitsfindung vereinbar sein.
Da die von Rechtsanwalt Garbade und Rechtsanwalt R.
verteidigten Angeschuldigten von ihrem Recht Gebrauch
machen, die Aussage strikte zu verweigern, ist die Gefahr
nicht von der Hand zu weisen, daß die Verteidiger nicht nur
ihr taktisches und rechtliches Vorgehen absprechen, sondern
allenfalls auch die materielle Wahrheitsfindung gewollt oder
ungewollt beeinträchtigen. Unter diesen Umständen sind
gerade bei Delikten der vorliegenden Art, die als Angriffe
auf die Staats- und Gesellschaftsordnung aufzufassen sind,
genügend Anhaltspunkte gegeben, die auf eine Kollusions-
gefahr in der Person des Verteidigers hinweisen."
"Such a manner of proceeding may not be inadmissible, but is
must conform with the rule of finding the material truth.
As the co-accused, represented by the lawyers Garbade and
R., have availed themselves of their right to remain silent,
the danger cannot be excluded that the defence counsels not
only coordinate their manner of proceeding in a tactical and
juridical way, but possibly also, intentionally or not,
impair the finding of the substantive truth. In such
circumstances, there are sufficient indications which point
to a danger of collusion in the person of the defence
counsel, particularly in respect of offences, such as the
present ones, which must be considered as attacks against
the order of the State and society."
V.
The applicant then filed two public law appeals (staats-
rechtliche Beschwerden) against the decisions of the Indictment Chamber
of the Zurich Court of Appeal of 27 June and 18 July 1985, and of its
Civil Chamber of 26 July 1985. In his public law appeal of 19 August
1985 he complained under Article 6 para. 3 (b) of the Convention in
connexion with Article 5 para. 4 of the Convention and with reference
to a previous decision of the Federal Court that the supervision of
the communications with his lawyer rendered illusory the right to a
procedure under Article 5 para. 4. In his public law appeal of
27 August 1985 he alleged inter alia that his right to a fair hearing
(das rechtliche Gehör des Beschwerdeführers) in the context of
Article 5 para. 4 of the Convention was invalidated in respect of the
appeal proceedings concerning the prolongation of his detention on
remand. He claimed in particular that supervision made it impossible
confidentially to talk with his lawyer as to the means with which the
evidence adduced by the investigating authorities could be challenged.
These public law appeals were rejected in two decisions of the
Federal Court of 15 October and 4 December 1985. On the first page of
both decisions the Court referred to Articles 5 para. 4 and 6 para. 3
(b) of the Convention.
In its decision of 15 October 1985 the Federal Court
considered the procedure in which the legality of the applicant's
detention on remand was examined. Thus the Court found that the
applicant's lawyer had been able to consult at least part of the
case-file and that at the latest for the preparation of the trial the
defence counsel would be able to consult the entire case-file. The
Court also saw no obligation to conduct an oral hearing in proceedings
concerning the prolongation of the applicant's detention on remand.
Finally, the Court considered that the length of the applicant's
detention on remand had not yet exceeded the permissible maximum.
On 4 December 1985, the Federal Court dismissed the applicant's
complaints concerning the supervision of his communications with his
defence counsel. This decision was served on the applicant's lawyer
on 28 May 1986.
The Court considered that it could only examine the decision
of the Civil Chamber of 26 July 1985 and that it was unaware of the
applicant's situation thereafter. The Court dismissed at the outset
the applicant's complaints under Article 6 para. 3 (b) of the
Convention since he had not claimed that the supervision of the
contacts with his defence counsel impaired the preparation of the
trial. Rather, the applicant's complaints fell to be considered under
Article 4 of the Swiss Constitution and Article 6 para. 3 (c) of the
Convention, as interpreted by the Commission's case-law.
In the Federal Court's opinion, it was not arbitrary if the
Zurich authorities viewed the alleged offences as systematic attacks
against the order of the State and society, particularly if one bore
in mind the selection of the objects attacked. Thus, the accused
persons appeared extraordinarily dangerous and it could well be
assumed that they would resort to illegal means even during the trial
proceedings. As a result, regardles of the individual lawyer
concerned, the supervision of the applicant's contacts with his
defence counsel conformed with the Constitution and the Convention.
The Federal Court considered further that if irregularities
occurred on the part of a defence counsel, it was in the first place
up to the disciplinary authorities to undertake the necessary
sanctions. Nevertheless, even a defence counsel could, intentionally
or not, become an accomplice of the accused. It could reasonably be
said (mit haltbaren Gründen) that such a situation could arise all the
more in respect of the applicant's defense counsel as he stood in
close contact with Mr R. who represented A.W. while the latter had
been able freely to confer with his defence counsel. This did not in
the Court's opinion imply a discrimination of the applicant in as much
as A.W. had been detained much longer and was charged with other
offences.
VI.
The contacts between the applicant and his defence counsel
continued to be supervised. Thus, notes for the file on contacts
between the applicant and his lawyer were prepared on 23 August,
11 and 21 October, and 18 December 1985.
According to a note prepared for the file by the Winterthur
District Attorney on 21 October 1985, he told the applicant's lawyer
on that day that the supervision of communications would be stopped
when he, the District Attorney, had heard without interference by
third parties the applicant's views in respect of all charges brought
against him. When the lawyer told the District Attorney that the
applicant would probably refuse to speak until he had unsupervised
contacts with the lawyer, the District Attorney replied that this was
the applicant's right. Subsequently, by letter of 2 April 1986 to the
applicant's lawyer, the District Attorney recalled that the
applicant's lawyer had told him that the applicant would not comment
on the investigations; he, the District Attorney, assumed therefore
that the applicant renounced his right to be heard on the reports and
minutes of the interrogations.
On 20 December 1985 the applicant again filed an appeal
(Beschwerde) in which he complained about the supervision and that his
defence counsel was not able to consult the case-file. The Indictment
Chamber dealt with these complaints in two decisions.
In its first decision of 8 January 1986 the Indictment Chamber
reserved for a later decision the issue of the supervision of the
applicant's contacts with his defence counsel in view of the fact that
the Public Prosecutor's Office envisaged unsupervised contacts after
9 or 10 January 1986. The Chamber further found that the applicant
was suspected of having committed the offences at issue, and if the
investigations lasted a long time this was also due to the applicant's
refusal to make any statement.
According to the subsequent decisions of the Federal Court of
30 November 1987, the applicant was permitted freely to communicate
with his lawyer as from 10 January 1986. The applicant claims that
this happened as from 14 January 1986.
On 10 July 1986 the Indictment Chamber gave its second
decision which complemented (Nachtragsbeschluss) the decision of 8
January 1986. The Chamber found that the applicant now lacked legal
interest in his appeal as his contacts with his defence counsel were
no longer supervised.
The Indictment Chamber then examined whether or not the
applicant had to bear the costs of the proceedings and whether he was
entitled to compensation. In order to resolve this issue the Chamber
had to examine whether the applicant's appeal of 20 December 1985
would have been successful if the supervision of the contacts with his
defence counsel had continued. The Chamber concluded that the
circumstances referred to in the decision of the Federal Court of
4 December 1985 had not changed until 20 December 1985. As a result
the supervision had been necessary and the applicant's appeal would
probably have been dismissed. In view of the procedure chosen by the
Indictment Chamber, resulting in two different decisions, the
applicant was nevertheless exempted from costs and expenses, though no
compensation was granted.
The applicant's further appeal (Rekurs) was dismissed by the
Civil Chamber at the Zurich Court of Appeal on 19 January 1987, which
also considered that the applicant's appeal of 20 December 1985 would
probably have been dismissed.
The applicant's public law appeal against the decision of
19 January 1987 was dismissed by the Federal Court on 30 November
1987. The latter's decision was served on the applicant's lawyer on
7 December 1987. The Federal Court found it could only examine whether
the Zurich authorities had arbitrarily refused to grant compensation
to the applicant on the ground that his appeal of 20 December 1985
would probably have been dismissed.
In the Court's view there continued to exist a danger of
collusion in respect of the applicant. The investigations were
prolonged inter alia by the extraordinary number of the offences of
which the applicant was charged, and it could be assumed, without
arbitrariness, that the relevant circumstances did not change between
July and December 1985.
VII.
On 28 July 1986 the final interrogation of the applicant took
place. According to the minutes of the interrogation, counting 125
pages, the applicant remained silent while being confronted with the
charges brought against him. The applicant's lawyer stated at the end
inter alia that the accusations were based merely on the assumption
that the applicant had anarchical views.
On 21 August 1986 the Winterthur District Attorney submitted
his final report of 235 pages on the investigations. Therein, he
charged the applicant with having participated on three occasions in
the offence of causing an explosion and of having committed nineteen
instances of arson, or attempted to do so. The applicant was also
charged of various instances of theft and of damaging property and a
railway line. The damages amounted to a total of approximately
7,670,000 SFr. The file was then transmitted to the Zurich Public
Prosecutor's Office (Staatsanwaltschaft).
On 12 September, 6 October and 22 December 1986 the applicant
unsuccessfully requested the Public Prosecutor's Office to take
further evidence.
On 29 January 1987 the Zurich Public Prosecutor's Office
indicted the applicant of the various offences mentioned. In his
reply thereto the applicant requested on 1 April 1987 the taking of
further evidence.
The applicant subsequently did not employ his right to choose
that his trial should rather be conducted by the Jury Court (Geschwore-
nengericht) than the Zurich Court of Appeal acting as Cantonal Court.
On 12 June 1987 the applicant was committed to trial before the Zurich
Court of Appeal.
At the trial the Public Prosecutor requested a punishment of
11 years' imprisonment (Zuchthaus).
The date for the pronouncement of judgment was fixed for
4 January 1988. However, as the applicant did not appear, the Court
adjourned the pronouncement. On 2 February and 15 September 1988 the
Court ordered the preparation of three graphological expert opinions.
On 15 September 1988 the applicant was released from detention
on remand.
The last expert opinion was prepared by 17 August 1989 and
served on the applicant on 23 August 1989. The applicant was also
asked whether he wished to be tried by the Zurich Jury Court.
COMPLAINTS
1. The applicant complains under Article 6 paras. 3 (b) and (c)
of the Convention that he was not allowed to communicate freely, and
without supervision, with his defence counsel from 31 May 1985 until
14 January 1986.
2. The applicant further complains that his right to take
proceedings before a court within the meaning of Article 5 para. 4
of the Convention became illusory by the prohibition of free
communication with his defence counsel.
3. The applicant also complains under Article 13 of the
Convention that, after the Zurich authorities had examined his appeal
of 20 December 1985, the Federal Court only examined whether or not
these authorities had arbitrarily considered that his complaint of
20 December 1985 would probably have been dismissed.
PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION
Application No. 12629/87 was introduced on 18 November 1986
and registered on 5 January 1987. Application No. 13965/88 was
introduced on 28 May 1988 and registered on 20 June 1988.
On 12 December 1988 the Commission decided to join the
applications, to bring them to the notice of the respondent
Government and to invite them pursuant to Rule 42 para. 2 (b) of the
Rules of Procedure to submit observations on their admissibility and
merits, in respect of the complaints under Articles 5 para. 4,
6 para. 3 (c) and 13 of the Convention.
The respondent Government's observations were submitted on 27
February 1989 and the reply thereto by the applicant on 10 April 1989.
THE LAW
1. The applicant complains that he was not allowed to communicate
freely, and without supervision, with his defence counsel from 31 May
1985 until 14 January 1986. He relies on Article 6 para. 3 (b) and
(c) (Art. 6-3-b, 6-3-c) of the Convention which state:
"3. Everyone charged with a criminal offence has the
following minimum rights:
...
(b) to have adequate time and facilities for the
preparation of his defence;
(c) to defend himself in person or through legal
assistance of his own choosing or, if he has not sufficient
means to pay for legal assistance, to be given it free when
the interests of justice so require...."
The applicant submits that, while the authorities justified
the supervision of communications on the ground of a danger of
collusion, they never indicated how the applicant's lawyer could
conspire with other persons, in particular, with other lawyers who
were defending co-accused in these proceedings. In fact, during the
period at issue, the authorities undertook no investigations which
were susceptible to influence by a concerted action between the
applicant and his lawyer. The applicant points out that in such cases
it is not necessary to show that the supervision caused prejudice. In
any event, prejudice occurred. Thus the supervision hindered the
preparation of the applicant's defence, it prolonged the proceedings,
and the notes of the supervising officers were taken as evidence to
the file.
The respondent Government submit that the complaints under
Article 6 para. 3 (b) and (c) (Art. 6-3-b, 6-3-c) are manifestly
ill-founded. With reference to the Commission's Report in the Can
case (Comm. Report 12.7.84, Eur. Court H.R., Series A No. 96, p. 15
et seq., paras. 49 et seq.), the Government submit that while an
accused's unsupervised communication with his lawyer is a fundamental
part of his defence, this right is susceptible to exceptions. In the
Government's view, in such cases the entirety of the proceedings must
be considered. Thus, after 10 January 1986 the applicant's lawyer
could freely communicate with the lawyer and had full access to the
file for a period of two years until the hearing for the pronouncement
of judgment was fixed.
The Government further point out that the applicant was
accused of particularly serious offences and that the authorities
pursued the investigations also during the relevant period. Here the
Government emphasise that, while the applicant knew that the
supervision would be lifted when the investigations were terminated,
he nevertheless refused to speak to the investigating authorities.
The Government also submit that the applicant has not shown
that he suffered any prejudice when the communications with his lawyer
were supervised. Here, the Government consider that, contrary to the
Commission's opinion in the Can case (ibid. para. 55), the functions
of the lawyer worthy of protection under Article 6 para. 3 (c)
(Art. 6-3-c) of the Convention concern only the preparation and
conduct of the trial and not, for instance, requests of the accused to
be released from detention on remand.
The Commission, having regard to the applicant's complaints
under Article 6 para. 3 (b) and (c) (Art. 6-3-b, 6-3-c) of the
Convention, considers that they raise complex issues of fact and law
which can only be resolved by an examination of the merits. This part
of the applications cannot, therefore, be declared manifestly
ill-founded. No other grounds for inadmissibility have been
established.
2. The applicant further complains that his right to take
proceedings before a court within the meaning of Article 5 para. 4
(Art. 5-4) of the Convention became illusory in view of the lack of free
communication with his defence counsel. He relies on Article 5
para. 4 (Art. 5-4) of the Convention which states:
"4. Everyone who is deprived of his liberty by arrest or
detention shall be entitled to take proceedings by which the
lawfulness of his detention shall be decided speedily by a court
and his release ordered if the detention is not lawful".
a) The applicant contends that, by raising the complaint at issue
in his public law appeal of 27 August 1985, he has exhausted domestic
remedies as required by Article 26 (Art. 26) of the Convention.
Subsequently, the decisions of the Federal Court of 15 October and 4
December 1985 both mentioned on the first page the complaint under
Article 5 para. 4 (Art. 5-4) of the Convention.
The respondent Government contest that the applicant has
complied with the condition of the exhaustion of domestic remedies.
They point out that he did not in his public law appeals leading to
the Federal Court's decision of 15 October and 4 December 1985 and of
30 November 1987 complain that the supervision violated his rights
under Article 5 para. 4 (Art. 5-4) of the Convention, or hindered his
access to a tribunal, or caused him other prejudice.
Under Article 26 (Art. 26) of the Convention the Commission may only
deal with a matter after all domestic remedies have been exhausted
according to the generally recognised rules of international law. In
the present case the Commission observes that the decisions of the
Federal Court of 15 October and 4 December 1985 do not examine the
applicant's complaints under Article 5 para. 4 (Art. 5-4) of the Convention.
However, the Commission also notes that the applicant alleged
in his public law appeal of 27 August 1985, which led to the Federal
Court's decision of 4 December 1985, that his right to a fair hearing
in the context of Article 5 para. 4 (Art. 5-4) of the Convention was
invalidated in respect of the appeal proceedings concerning
prolongation of detention on remand. He claimed in particular that
supervision made it impossible confidentially to discuss with his
lawyer the means by which the evidence adduced by the authorities
could be challenged. A similar complaint was raised in his public law
appeal of 19 August 1985. The Commission also notes that the Federal
Court confirmed this complaint by expressly referring on the first
page of the decisions of 15 October and 4 December 1985 to the
complaint under Article 5 para. 4 (Art. 5-4) of the Convention.
The Commission is therefore satisfied that the applicant
sufficiently raised his complaint at issue before the Federal Court.
This part of the applications cannot therefore be rejected under
Article 27 para. 3 in conjunction with Article 26 (Art. 27-3+26) of
the Convention for non-exhausion of domestic remedies.
b) The Government further submit that the applicant has not shown
that the supervision affected his rights under Article 5 para. 4
(Art. 5-4) of the Convention. The applicant was able to file appeals
against the decisions to prolong his detention on remand, and his
lawyer, while having only limited access to the file, was fully aware
of the charges brought against the applicant and the suspicions
resting on him.
The Commission considers that the applicant's complaints under
Article 5 para. 4 (Art. 5-4) of the Convention raise complex issues of
fact and law which can only be resolved by an examination of the
merits. The complaint cannot, therefore, be declared manifestly
ill-founded. No other grounds for inadmissibility have been
established.
3. The applicant also complains that, after the Zurich
authorities had examined his appeal of 20 December 1985, the Federal
Court only examined the question whether or not these authorities had
arbitrarily considered that the applicant's complaint of 20 December
1985 would probably have been dismissed. He relies on Article 13
(Art. 13) of the Convention which provides:
"Everyone whose rights and freedoms as set forth in
this Convention are violated shall have an effective
remedy before a national authority notwithstanding that
the violation has been committed by persons acting in an
official capacity."
The Government regard this complaint as being manifestly
ill-founded. They point out that the applicant obtained decisions of
the Federal Court on 15 October and 4 December 1985 and 30 November
1987. With regard to the Federal Court's decision of 30 November 1987
the Government submit that the applicant has not shown how these
proceedings, which were necessarily brief as they concerned court
costs, did not comply with Article 13 (Art. 13) of the Convention.
The Commission recalls the case-law of the Convention organs
that where an individual has an arguable claim to be the victim of a
violation of the rights set forth in the Convention, he should have a
remedy before a national authority in order both to have his claim
decided and, if appropriate, to obtain redress (see Eur. Court H.R.,
Klass and others judgment of 6 September 1978, Series A no. 28, p. 29
para. 64).
However, in the present case the Commission finds that the
applicant's complaints are directed against the decisions of three
courts, namely of the Indictment Chamber of the Zurich Court of Appeal
of 10 July 1986, of the Civil Chamber of the Zurich Court of Appeal of
19 January 1987, and of the Federal Court of 30 November 1987.
It follows that a remedy against a violation of the Convention
allegedly committed by these courts would require the possibility to
appeal against their judgments. However, the right to appeal is not
as such guaranteed by Article 13 (Art. 13) of the Convention (see
Eur. Court H.R., Delcourt judgment of 17 January 1970, Series A no.
11, p. 14 para. 25). It follows therefrom that this provision cannot
be relied upon in circumstances where the alleged violation of the
Convention lies in the decision of a court (see No. 11508/85, Barfod
v. Denmark, Dec. 17.7.86, to be published in D.R.).
This part of the application must therefore be declared
inadmissible as being manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of
Article 27 para. 2 (Art. 27-2) of the Convention.
For these reasons, the Commission
DECLARES INADMISSIBLE the applicant's complaints concerning
Article 13 (Art. 13) of the Convention;
DECLARES ADMISSIBLE the remainder of the applications,
without prejudging the merits of the case.
Secretary to the Commission President of the Commission
(H.C. KRÜGER) (C.A. NØRGAARD)