FOURTH SECTION

DECISION

Application no. 38776/07 by Risto Raimo ARHELA against Finland

The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 12 January 2010 as a Chamber composed of:

Nicolas Bratza , President, Giovanni Bonello , David Thór Björgvinsson , Ján Šikuta , Päivi Hirvelä , Ledi Bianku , Nebojša Vučinić , judges,

a nd Fatoş Aracı , Deputy Section Registrar ,

Having regard to the above application lodged on 28 August 2007,

Having regard to the formal declarations accepting a f riendly settlement of the case,

Having deliberated, decides as follows:

PROCEDURE

The application was lodged by Mr Risto Raimo Arhela, a Finnish national who was born in 1961 and lives in Espoo . He was represented before the Court by Mr Markku Fredman, a lawyer practising in Helsinki . The Finnish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr Arto Kosonen of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs .

The applicant complained under Article s 6 and 13 of the Convention that the total length of his criminal proceedings had been incompatible with the reasonable-time requirement and that he had not had an effective remedy in that respect.

On 19 and 30 November 2009 the Court received friendly settlement declarations signed by the parties under which the applicant agreed to waive any further claims against the Finland in respect of the facts giving rise to this application against an undertaking by the Government to pay him 11,250 euros to cover any non-pecuniary damage as well as costs and expenses, which would be free of any taxes that may be applicable . It w ould be payable within three months from the date of notification of the decision taken by the Court pursuant to Article 37 § 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In the event of failure to pay this sum within the said three-month period, the Government undert ook to pay simple interest on it, from expiry of that period until settlement, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points. The payment w ould constitute the final resolution of the case.

THE LAW

The Court takes note of the friendly settlement reached between the parties. It is satisfied that the settlement is based on respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and its Protocols and finds no reasons to justify a continued examination of the application (Article 37 § 1 in fine of the Convention).

In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the case out of the list.

For these reasons, the Court unanimously

Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases.

Fatoş Aracı Nicolas Bratza Deputy Registrar President