Information Note on the Court’s case-law 19

June 2000

Riepan v. Austria (dec.) - 35115/97

Decision 15.6.2000 [Section III]

Article 6

Criminal proceedings

Article 6-1

Public hearing

Hearing held in prison: admissible

The applicant is serving a prison sentence for murder and burglary. Following serious threats he made against members of the prison staff, criminal proceedings were initiated against him. The Re gional Court held a hearing in the “closed area” of the prison, although according to the minutes the hearing was public. The applicant was convicted of dangerous menace and sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment. He filed an appeal on both facts and law and against his sentence. He argued, inter alia , that the hearing had not been public since it had taken place in the “closed area” of the prison where only people with a special permit were allowed and that it had been held in a room too small for anyone to attend it. The Court of Appeal rejected his appeal.

Admissible under Article 6 § 1.

© Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.

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