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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> European Court of Human Rights >> TSIRLIS AND KOULOUMPAS v. GREECE - 19233/91;19234/91 [1997] ECHR 29 (29 May 1997) URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/1997/29.html Cite as: [1997] ECHR 29, (1998) 25 EHRR 198, [1998] 25 EHRR 198, 25 EHRR 198

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In the case of Tsirlis and Kouloumpas v. Greece (1),

The European Court of Human Rights, sitting, in accordance with

Article 43 (art. 43) of the Convention for the Protection of

Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ("the Convention") and the

relevant provisions of Rules of Court A (2), as a Chamber composed of

the following judges:

Mr R. Ryssdal, President,

Mr F. Gölcüklü,

Mr N. Valticos,

Mr R. Pekkanen,

Mr A.N. Loizou,

Mr A.B. Baka,

Mr D. Gotchev,

Mr P. Kuris,

Mr U. Lohmus,

and also of Mr H. Petzold, Registrar, and Mr P.J. Mahoney, Deputy

Registrar,

Having deliberated in private on 24 January and 25 April 1997,

Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on the

last-mentioned date:

_______________

Notes by the Registrar

1. The case is numbered 54/1996/673/859-860. The first number is the

case's position on the list of cases referred to the Court in the

relevant year (second number). The last two numbers indicate the

case's position on the list of cases referred to the Court since its

creation and on the list of the corresponding originating applications

to the Commission.

2. Rules A apply to all cases referred to the Court before the entry

into force of Protocol No. 9 (P9) (1 October 1994) and thereafter only

to cases concerning States not bound by that Protocol (P9). They

correspond to the Rules that came into force on 1 January 1983, as

amended several times subsequently.

_______________

PROCEDURE

1. The case was referred to the Court by the European Commission of

Human Rights ("the Commission") on 17 April 1996, within the

three-month period laid down by Article 32 para. 1 and Article 47 of

the Convention (art. 32-1, art. 47). It originated in applications

(nos. 19233/91 and 19234/91) against the Hellenic Republic lodged with

the Commission under Article 25 (art. 25) by two Greek nationals,

Mr Dimitrios Tsirlis and Mr Timotheos Kouloumpas, on 26 November 1991.

The Commission's request referred to Articles 44 and 48

(art. 44, art. 48) and to the declaration whereby Greece recognised the

compulsory jurisdiction of the Court (Article 46) (art. 46). The

object of the request was to obtain a decision as to whether the facts

of the case disclosed a breach by the respondent State of its

obligations under Articles 3, 5, 6, 9, 13 and 14 of the Convention

(art. 3, art. 5, art. 6, art. 9, art. 13, art. 14).

2. In response to the enquiry made in accordance with Rule 33

para. 3 (d) of Rules of Court A, the applicants stated that they wished

to take part in the proceedings and designated the lawyer who would

represent them (Rule 30).

3. On 27 April 1996, the President of the Court decided, under

Rule 21 para. 7 and in the interests of the proper administration of

justice, that a single Chamber should be constituted to consider this

case and that of Georgiadis v. Greece (no. 56/1996/675/865). The

Chamber to be constituted for that purpose included ex officio

Mr N. Valticos, the elected judge of Greek nationality (Article 43 of

the Convention) (art. 43), and Mr R. Ryssdal, the President of the

Court (Rule 21 para. 4 (b)). On the same date, in the presence of the

Registrar, the President drew by lot the names of the other

seven members, namely Mr F. Gölcüklü, Mr R. Pekkanen, Mr A.N. Loizou,

Mr A.B. Baka, Mr D. Gotchev, Mr P. Kuris and Mr U. Lohmus (Article 43

in fine of the Convention and Rule 21 para. 5) (art. 43).

4. As President of the Chamber (Rule 21 para. 6), Mr Ryssdal, acting

through the Registrar, consulted the Agent of the Greek Government

("the Government"), the applicants' lawyer and the Delegate of the

Commission on the organisation of the proceedings (Rules 37 para. 1

and 38). Pursuant to the order made in consequence, the Registrar

received the Government's memorial on 25 October 1996 and the

applicants' claims for just satisfaction on 31 October 1996.

5. In accordance with the President's decision, the hearing took

place in public in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on

21 January 1997. The Court had held a preparatory meeting beforehand.

There appeared before the Court:

(a) for the Government

Mr P. Georgakopoulos, Senior Adviser,

Legal Council of State, Delegate of the Agent,

Mrs K. Grigoriou, Legal Assistant,

Legal Council of State, Counsel;

(b) for the Commission

Mr P. Lorenzen, Delegate;

(c) for the applicants

Mr P. Bitsaxis, of the Athens Bar, Counsel.

The Court heard addresses by Mr Lorenzen, Mr Bitsaxis and

Mrs Grigoriou and also replies to its questions.

AS TO THE FACTS

I. The circumstances of the case

6. The applicants were born in 1964 and live in Thiva, Beotia.

A. The case of Mr Tsirlis

7. On 4 November 1987 Mr Tsirlis was appointed religious minister

by the Central Congregation of the Christian Jehovah's Witnesses of

Greece. He was given authority, inter alia, to perform wedding

ceremonies between persons of that faith and to notify such weddings

to the competent registry offices. By letter of 20 November 1987 the

Prefecture of Eastern Attica notified the registry offices of

Eastern Attica of his appointment.

8. On 13 February 1990 the applicant lodged an application with the

Recruitment Office of Eastern Attica ("the Recruitment Office") to be

exempted from military service in accordance with section 6 of

Law no. 1763/1988 ("the 1988 Law"), which grants such a right to all

ministers of "known religions". On 28 February 1990 the

Recruitment Office rejected the application on the ground that

Jehovah's Witnesses were not a "known religion". The applicant

immediately lodged an appeal with the Director for Recruitment at the

General Headquarters for National Defence ("the Director for

Recruitment").

9. While that appeal was pending, the applicant was ordered by the

Recruitment Office to report for duty at a military training centre in

Rethymnon on 6 March 1990. The applicant presented himself at the

Rethymnon centre, as ordered, but refused to join his unit, invoking

his status as a minister of a "known religion". He also refused to

wear a military uniform as ordered by a military officer. He was

arrested, charged with insubordination (see paragraph 45 below) and

detained pending trial.

10. On 22 March 1990 the Director for Recruitment rejected the

applicant's appeal against the Recruitment Office's decision, on the

ground that Jehovah's Witnesses were not a "known religion".

11. On 30 April 1990 the Canea Permanent Army Tribunal

(Diarkes Stratodikio), composed of two military judges and

three ordinary military officers, examined the criminal charges against

the applicant. Mr Tsirlis claimed that he was innocent on the ground

that he was a minister of a "known religion" exempted from

military service. At the end of the hearing the President of the

tribunal put the following question to its members:

"Is [the applicant], who is a Jehovah's Witness, guilty of having

refused to obey, while serving in the military, an order given

by his commanding officer to perform a certain duty, namely

collecting articles of clothing necessary for his training as an

unarmed soldier, on the ground that the religious convictions of

Jehovah's Witnesses did not permit him to do so?"

The tribunal unanimously answered the question in the

affirmative, found the applicant guilty of insubordination and

sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, from which it deducted the

period he had spent in detention pending trial.

12. On 4 May 1990 the applicant appealed against that decision to the

Military Appeal Court (Anatheoritiko Dikastirio).

13. On 21 May 1990 the applicant brought proceedings in the

Supreme Administrative Court (Symvoulio tis Epikratias) to have the

Director for Recruitment's decision of 22 March 1990 quashed. He

asked, among other things, to be treated like other

religious ministers.

14. On 19 June 1990 the applicant's appeal came up for hearing before

the Military Appeal Court, a court composed of five military judges.

The defence sought the applicant's acquittal or, alternatively, an

adjournment of the hearing pending the Supreme Administrative Court's

decision on his administrative appeal. The defence also applied for

the applicant's provisional release. The military court decided to

adjourn the hearing to a date to be fixed by the prosecutor

(Epitropos), in order to enable the latter to produce a copy of the

applicant's original application for an exemption and of the

Director for Recruitment's final decision on it. It further ruled that

the applicant should not be provisionally released.

15. On 12 September 1990 the applicant requested the

Supreme Administrative Court to order a stay of execution of the

Director for Recruitment's decision refusing to exempt him from

military service.

16. On 29 November 1990 the applicant's appeal came up again for

hearing before the Military Appeal Court. In the meantime the

Fourth Division of the Supreme Administrative Court had delivered

judgment no. 3601/90, in which the right of

Jehovah's Witnesses ministers of religion to be exempted from

military service had been expressly upheld (see paragraph 44 below).

The prosecutor requested an adjournment of the hearing with a view to

obtaining the opinion of the Director for Recruitment on the following

matter:

"Is the accused under an obligation to perform military service

in the light of judgment no. 3601/90 of the Fourth Division of

the Supreme Administrative Court, which quashed a decision of the

Director for Recruitment at the General Headquarters for

National Defence, who had rejected an application for exemption

from military service lodged by another accused person who was

a religious minister of the Central Congregation of the

Christian Jehovah's Witnesses ...?"

17. The prosecutor further submitted that the applicant should remain

in custody. The defence agreed to the hearing being adjourned and

considered that the question of the applicant's provisional release

"should be left to the court's discretion". The court granted the

prosecution's application and ordered that the applicant should not be

provisionally released.

18. On 16 April 1991 the applicant's appeal came up for hearing for

the third time before the Military Appeal Court. A hearing had been

fixed on the same day in the action the applicant had brought in the

Supreme Administrative Court to have the Director for Recruitment's

decision of 22 March 1990 quashed.

19. The prosecutor at the Military Appeal Court proposed adjourning

the hearing of the applicant's criminal appeal pending the

Supreme Administrative Court's decision. He also submitted that the

applicant should remain in custody. The defence considered that the

first matter should be left to the court's discretion but made an

application for the applicant's provisional release.

20. The court decided to adjourn the hearing in order to obtain the

opinion of the Director for Recruitment on the following question: "Was

the accused exempted from the obligation to report for duty in the

light of his purported status of religious minister?" It further

ordered that the applicant should remain in custody.

21. On 24 April 1991 the Supreme Administrative Court quashed the

Director for Recruitment's decision of 22 March 1990 on the ground that

Jehovah's Witnesses were a "known religion" and the

administrative authorities had not challenged the evidence produced by

the applicant that he was a minister of that religion.

22. On 8 May 1991 a three-member committee of the

Supreme Administrative Court decided that in the circumstances there

was no need to rule on the applicant's petition for a stay of execution

of the Director for Recruitment's decision.

23. On 30 May 1991 the Military Appeal Court considered the

applicant's appeal against the Canea Permanent Army Tribunal's judgment

of 30 April 1990. The issue before the court, as formulated by its

President, was the following:

"Is [the applicant], a member of the religious sect of

Jehovah's Witnesses, guilty of having refused to obey, while

serving in the military, an order given by his commanding officer

to perform a certain duty, namely collecting articles of clothing

necessary for his training as an unarmed soldier, on the ground

that the religious convictions of Jehovah's Witnesses did not

permit him to do so?"

24. Having heard the evidence and the parties' submissions on the

question of the applicant's guilt, the court withdrew for

deliberations. After the deliberations the President announced the

verdict. The applicant was acquitted, by three votes to two, on the

ground that "there was no act" of insubordination. The dissenting

judges considered that "the accused [was] not a religious minister".

The following order was attached to the court's verdict and read out

together with it: "The State is under no obligation to compensate the

applicant for his detention between 6 March 1990 and 30 May 1991,

because his detention was due to his own gross negligence."

25. The applicant was immediately released and was provisionally

discharged from the armed forces on the basis that he was a minister

of religion.

B. The case of Mr Kouloumpas

26. On 4 November 1987 Mr Kouloumpas was appointed religious minister

by the Central Congregation of the Christian Jehovah's Witnesses of

Greece. He was given authority, inter alia, to perform wedding

ceremonies between persons of that faith and to notify such weddings

to the competent registry offices. By letter of 20 November 1987 the

Prefecture of Eastern Attica notified the registry offices of

Eastern Attica of his appointment.

27. On 29 November 1989 the applicant lodged an application with the

Patras Recruitment Office ("the Recruitment Office") to be exempted

from military service in accordance with section 6 of the 1988 Law.

On 1 March 1990 the Recruitment Office rejected the application on the

ground that Jehovah's Witnesses were not a "known religion". The

applicant immediately lodged an appeal with the

Director for Recruitment.

28. While that appeal was pending, the applicant was ordered by the

Recruitment Office to report for duty at a military training centre in

Sparta on 6 March 1990. The applicant presented himself at the

Sparta centre, as ordered, but refused to join his unit, invoking his

status as a minister of a "known religion". He also refused to wear

a military uniform as ordered by a military officer. He was arrested,

charged with insubordination (see paragraph 45 below) and detained

pending trial.

29. On 6 April 1990 the Director for Recruitment rejected the

applicant's appeal against the Recruitment Office's decision, on the

ground that Jehovah's Witnesses were not a "known religion".

30. On 21 May 1990 the applicant brought proceedings in the

Supreme Administrative Court to have the Director for Recruitment's

decision of 6 April 1990 quashed. He asked, among other things, to be

treated like other religious ministers.

31. On 30 May 1990 the Athens Permanent Army Tribunal, composed of

one military judge and four ordinary military officers, examined the

criminal charges against the applicant. Mr Kouloumpas claimed that he

was innocent on the ground that he was a minister of a "known religion"

exempted from military service. At the end of the hearing the

President of the tribunal put the following question to its members:

"Is [the applicant], who is a Jehovah's Witness, guilty of having

refused to obey, while serving in the military, an order given

by his commanding officer to perform a certain duty, namely

collecting articles of clothing necessary for his training as an

unarmed soldier, on the ground that the religious convictions of

Jehovah's Witnesses did not permit him to do so?"

The tribunal unanimously answered the question in the

affirmative, found the applicant guilty of insubordination and

sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, from which it deducted the

period he had spent in detention pending trial.

32. On 1 June 1990 the applicant appealed against that decision to

the Military Appeal Court.

33. On 12 July 1990 the applicant's appeal came up for hearing before

the Military Appeal Court. The defence sought the applicant's

acquittal or, alternatively, an adjournment of the hearing pending the

Supreme Administrative Court's decision on his administrative appeal.

The court decided to adjourn the hearing to a date to be fixed by the

prosecutor, in order to enable the latter to produce copies of certain

documents from the Ministry of Education and the Holy Synod of the

Orthodox Church of Greece which had been relied on by the

military authorities to refuse the applicant's application for

exemption. The court further accepted the submission of both the

prosecution and the defence that the applicant should not be

provisionally released.

34. On 12 September 1990 the applicant requested the

Supreme Administrative Court to order a stay of execution of the

Director for Recruitment's decision refusing to exempt him from

military service.

35. On 27 November 1990 the applicant's appeal came up again for

hearing before the Military Appeal Court. In the meantime the

Fourth Division of the Supreme Administrative Court had delivered

judgment no. 3601/90, in which the right of

Jehovah's Witnesses ministers of religion to be exempted from

military service had been expressly upheld (see paragraph 44 below).

The prosecutor requested an adjournment of the hearing with a view to

obtaining the opinion of the Director for Recruitment on the following

matter:

"Is the accused under an obligation to perform military service

in the light of judgment no. 3601/90 of the Fourth Division of

the Supreme Administrative Court, which quashed a decision of the

Director for Recruitment at the General Headquarters for

National Defence, who had rejected an application for exemption

from military service lodged by another accused person who was

a religious minister of the Central Congregation of the

Christian Jehovah's Witnesses ...?"

36. The prosecutor further submitted that the applicant should remain

in custody. The defence requested the applicant's provisional release.

The court granted the prosecution's application and ordered that the

applicant should not be provisionally released.

37. On 7 March 1991 the applicant's appeal came up for hearing for

the third time before the Military Appeal Court. The prosecutor sought

an adjournment of the hearing on the ground that the Director for

Recruitment should give his opinion on the following matter: "Is the

accused already exempted from the obligation to perform

military service in view of the proceedings he has brought in the

Supreme Administrative Court?" He also submitted that the applicant

should remain in custody. Despite the applicant's opposition, the

court granted both applications.

38. On 24 April 1991 the Supreme Administrative Court quashed the

Director for Recruitment's decision refusing the applicant's

application for exemption on the ground that Jehovah's Witnesses were

a "known religion" and the administrative authorities had not

challenged the evidence produced by the applicant that he was a

minister of that religion.

39. On 8 May 1991 a three-member committee of the

Supreme Administrative Court decided that in the circumstances there

was no need to rule on the applicant's petition for a stay of execution

of the Director for Recruitment's decision.

40. On 29 May 1991 the Military Appeal Court considered the

applicant's appeal against the Athens Permanent Army Tribunal's

judgment of 30 May 1990. The issue before the court, as formulated by

its President, was the following:

"Is [the applicant], a member of the religious sect of

Jehovah's Witnesses, guilty of having refused to obey, while

serving in the military, an order given by his commanding officer

to perform a certain duty, that is to collects articles of

clothing necessary for his training as an unarmed soldier, on the

ground that the religious convictions of Jehovah's Witnesses did

not permit him to do so?"

41. Having heard the evidence and the parties' submissions on the

question of the applicant's guilt, the court withdrew for

deliberations. After the deliberations the President announced the

verdict. The applicant was acquitted, by three votes to two, on the

ground that "there was no act" of insubordination. The dissenting

judges considered that "the accused [was] not a religious minister".

The following order was attached to the tribunal's verdict and read out

together with it: "The State is under no obligation to compensate the

applicant for his detention between 6 March 1990 and 29 May 1991,

because his detention was due to his own gross negligence."

42. The applicant was immediately released and was provisionally

discharged from the armed forces on the basis that he was a minister

of religion.

II. Relevant domestic law and practice

A. Law no. 1763/1988

43. Section 6 of Law no. 1763/1988 ("the 1988 Law") exempts all

ministers of "known religions" from military service. In application

of this provision, priests of the Greek Orthodox Church obtain

exemption without any difficulty.

44. The Supreme Administrative Court has repeatedly held that

Jehovah's Witnesses are a "known religion" (judgments nos. 2105 and

2106/1975, 4635/1977, 2484/1980, 4620/1985 and 790 and 3533/1986). In

its judgment no. 3601/1990 the Supreme Administrative Court expressly

upheld the right of Jehovah's Witnesses ministers of religion to be

exempted from military service.

B. The Military Criminal Code

45. Article 70 of the Military Criminal Code provides as follows:

"A member of the armed forces who refuses ... to obey an order

by his superior to perform one of his duties is punished..."

46. On 16 March 1992 the Athens Permanent Army Tribunal held that a

Jehovah's Witnesses minister of religion who had refused to collect

military clothing when first called upon to join the army was not

guilty of insubordination. The tribunal considered that there had been

no act of insubordination, because the accused had no obligation to

perform military service as he was a minister of a "known religion".

47. Article 434 provides that where a procedural matter is not

regulated in the Military Criminal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure

applies.

C. The Code of Criminal Procedure

48. The relevant provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure read

as follows:

Article 533 para. 2

"Persons who have been detained on remand and subsequently

acquitted ... shall be entitled to request compensation ... if

it has been established in the proceedings that they did not

commit the criminal offence for which they were detained ..."

Article 535 para. 1

"The State shall have no obligation to compensate a person who

... has been detained on remand if, whether intentionally or by

gross negligence, he was responsible for his own detention."

Article 536

"1. Upon an oral application by a person who has been acquitted,

the court which heard the case shall rule on the State's

obligation to pay compensation in a separate decision delivered

at the same time as the verdict. However, the court may also

make such a ruling proprio motu ...

2. The ruling on the State's obligation to pay compensation

cannot be challenged separately; it shall, however, be quashed

if the decision on the principal issue of the criminal trial is

reversed."

Article 537

"1. A person who has suffered loss may seek compensation at a

later stage from the same court.

2. In those circumstances the application must be submitted to

the prosecutor [Epitropos] at that court no later than

forty-eight hours after the delivery of the judgment in

open court."

Article 539 para. 1

"Where it has been decided that the State must pay compensation,

the person entitled thereto may bring his claim in the

civil courts, which shall not call in question the existence of

the State's obligation."

Article 540 para. 1

"Persons who have been unfairly ... detained on remand must be

compensated for any pecuniary loss they have suffered as a result

of their ... detention. They must also be compensated for

non-pecuniary loss ..."

PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION

49. Mr Tsirlis and Mr Kouloumpas applied to the Commission on

26 November 1991. Relying on Articles 3, 5 paras. 1 and 5, 6 para. 1,

9, 13 and 14 of the Convention (art. 3, art. 5-1, art. 5-5, art. 6-1,

art. 9, art. 13, art. 14), they complained that their detention was

unlawful and amounted to discrimination on account of their religious

beliefs, that they had been subjected to inhuman and degrading

treatment, and that they did not have a fair hearing in the matter of

compensation for their unlawful detention. They further complained

under Article 7 (art. 7) that their conviction had been arbitrary.

50. On 4 September 1995 the Commission declared the applications

(nos. 19233/91 and 19234/91) admissible with the exception of the

complaints concerning the lawfulness of the applicants' pre-trial

detention and the complaint under Article 7 (art. 7). In its report

of 7 March 1996 (Article 31) (art. 31), the Commission expressed the

opinion that:

(a) there had been a violation of Article 5 para. 1 (art. 5-1)

(unanimously);

(b) there had been a violation of Article 5 para. 5 (art. 5-5)

(unanimously);

(c) there had been a violation of Article 6 para. 1 (art. 6-1)

(unanimously);

(d) it was not necessary to examine whether there had been a

violation of Article 13 (art. 13) (unanimously);

(e) there had been a violation of Article 14 read in conjunction

with Article 9 (art. 14+9) (twenty-six votes to two);

(f) it was not necessary to examine whether there had been a

violation of Article 9 (art. 9) (twenty-four votes to four);

(g) there had been no violation of Article 3 (art. 3)

(unanimously).

The full text of the Commission's opinion and of the

three separate opinions contained in the report is reproduced as an

annex to this judgment (1).

_______________

Note by the Registrar

1. For practical reasons this annex will appear only with the printed

version of the judgment (in Reports of Judgments and

Decisions 1997-III), but a copy of the Commission's report is

obtainable from the registry.

_______________

FINAL SUBMISSIONS TO THE COURT

51. At the hearing, the applicants requested the Court to find that,

in their cases, Articles 3, 5 paras. 1 and 5, 6 para. 1, 9, 13 and 14

(art. 3, art. 5-1, art. 5-5, art. 6-1, art. 9, art. 13, art. 14) had

been violated.

The Government, for their part, asked the Court to reject every

allegation of a violation of the Convention.

AS TO THE LAW

I. ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF ARTICLE 5 OF THE CONVENTION (art. 5)

A. Paragraph 1 (art. 5-1)

52. Mr Tsirlis and Mr Kouloumpas complained that their detention

following conviction and up to their final acquittal by the

Military Appeal Court was in breach of Article 5 para. 1 of the

Convention (art. 5-1), which, in so far as relevant, reads:

"Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No

one shall be deprived of his liberty save in the following cases

and in accordance with a procedure prescribed by law:

(a) the lawful detention of a person after conviction by a

competent court;

..."

Mr Tsirlis complained that his detention between 30 April 1990

and 30 May 1991 was not "lawful" within the meaning of this provision

(art. 5-1). Mr Kouloumpas made the same complaint in respect of the

period spent in detention between 30 May 1990 and 29 May 1991. In

their allegation, the applicable provisions of the 1988 Law were clear:

all ministers of known religions had the right to be exempted from

military service (see paragraph 43 above). Mr Tsirlis and

Mr Kouloumpas had requested exemption on 13 February 1990 and

29 November 1989 respectively. In the light of the existing case-law

of the Supreme Administrative Court, which recognised

Jehovah's Witnesses as a "known religion" (see paragraph 44 above), and

since their status as ministers of that religion was never questioned

throughout the proceedings, it was undisputable that the applicants

were not liable to military service. In these circumstances, their

convictions on charges of insubordination by the permanent army

tribunals of Canea and Athens were considered by the applicants to be

"openly arbitrary".

The applicants further sought to describe the measures taken

against them as a part of a more general move by the Greek authorities

not to recognise the existence of a religious minority.

53. The Commission noted that the question of the applicants'

liability to military service was central to the issue of their

criminal responsibility for insubordination. It concluded that, in

ignoring the applicants' appointment as ministers of the

Jehovah's Witnesses and the relevant case-law of the

Supreme Administrative Court, the first-instance military tribunals

clearly misconstrued section 6 of the 1988 Law, which exempts all

ministers of "known religions" from military service. The applicants'

detention following conviction could not therefore be regarded as

"lawful" within the meaning of Article 5 para. 1 of the Convention

(art. 5-1).

54. In the Government's submission, no breach of Article 5 para. 1

(art. 5-1) had taken place. The applicants were detained following

conviction by the competent military courts on charges of

insubordination. Insubordination is committed when a member of the

armed forces refuses to comply with orders given by a serviceman of a

higher rank. At the material time the applicants were members of the

armed forces. By refusing to obey their superior's order to wear a

military uniform, Mr Tsirlis and Mr Kouloumpas therefore committed a

criminal offence. This was the only issue before the

military jurisdictions. Neither the military units to which the

applicants reported, nor the military courts had the power to set aside

the administrative decision declining to exempt the applicants from

military service. At any event, the applicants had refused to obey on

the ground that they were Jehovah's Witnesses, not religious ministers,

as borne out by the legal issue formulated by the presidents of the

military tribunals (see paragraphs 11, 23, 31 and 40 above).

It was further contended that the military authorities were

hesitant to follow the Supreme Administrative Court's decision

acknowledging that ministers of the Jehovah's Witnesses were to be

considered as "ministers of a known religion" and thus exempted from

military obligations (judgment no. 3601/90 - see paragraph 44 above),

on the ground that one single decision did not constitute established

case-law. Such hesitancy was further reflected in the dissenting

opinions attached to the decisions rendered by the

Supreme Administrative Court in the applicants' cases.

55. Those appearing before the Court agreed that Mr Tsirlis's and

Mr Kouloumpas's detention fell properly to be classified as detention

"after conviction by a competent court" and its lawfulness to be

examined under sub-paragraph (a) of Article 5 para. 1 (art. 5-1-a); the

Court sees no reason to adopt a different view.

56. It must therefore be established whether Mr Tsirlis's detention

between 30 April 1990 and 30 May 1991 as well as Mr Kouloumpas's

detention between 30 May 1990 and 29 May 1991 were "in accordance with

a procedure prescribed by law" and "lawful" within the meaning of

Article 5 para. 1 of the Convention (art. 5-1). The Court reiterates

that the Convention here essentially refers back to domestic law and

states the obligation to conform to the substantive and procedural

rules thereof; but it requires in addition that any deprivation of

liberty should be consistent with the purpose of Article 5 (art. 5),

namely to protect individuals from arbitrariness (see, among many other

authorities, the Bozano v. France judgment of 18 December 1986,

Series A no. 111, p. 23, para. 54, and the Lukanov v. Bulgaria judgment

of 20 March 1997, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1997-II,

pp. 543-44, para. 41).

57. It is in the first place for the national authorities, notably

the courts, to interpret and apply domestic law. However, since under

Article 5 para. 1 (art. 5-1) failure to comply with domestic law

entails a breach of the Convention, it follows that the Court can and

should exercise a certain power to review whether this law has been

complied with (see the Bouamar v. Belgium judgment of 29 February 1988,

Series A no. 129, p. 21, para. 49).

58. Detention will in principle be lawful if it is carried out

pursuant to a court order. A subsequent finding that the court erred

under domestic law in making the order will not necessarily

retrospectively affect the validity of the intervening period of

detention. For this reason, the Strasbourg organs have consistently

refused to uphold applications from persons convicted of

criminal offences who complain that their convictions or sentences were

found by the appellate courts to have been based on errors of fact or

law (see the Benham v. the United Kingdom judgment of 10 June 1996,

Reports 1996-III, p. 753, para. 42).

59. The Court notes that section 6 of the 1988 Law refers to

ministers of all "known religions". As early as 1975, the

Supreme Administrative Court acknowledged that the Jehovah's Witnesses

were to be considered as such, and this case-law could unquestionably

be regarded as established by 1990 (see paragraph 44 above). It was

not disputed throughout the domestic proceedings that the applicants

were ministers of that religion. However, in deciding on the issue of

the applicants' criminal liability, and thus on the lawfulness of their

detention, the military authorities blatantly ignored this case-law.

As a result, Mr Tsirlis and Mr Kouloumpas spent thirteen and

twelve months in detention respectively.

60. Furthermore, the relevant authorities' persistence not to

recognise Jehovah's Witnesses as a "known religion" and the disregard

of the applicants' right to liberty that followed, were of a

discriminatory nature when contrasted with the way in which ministers

of the Greek Orthodox Church obtain exemption (see paragraph 43 above).

61. It is no answer to these failings that, as the Government have

submitted, the question of the applicants' position as ministers of

religion lay outside the scope of the case before the military courts,

whose jurisdiction only extended itself to the alleged offence of

insubordination (see paragraph 54 above). In the first place, it is

clear from the repeated adjournments of the applicants' cases by the

Military Appeal Court in order to clarify whether

Jehovah's Witnesses ministers were under an obligation to perform

military service (see paragraphs 16, 20, 35 and 37 above) that this

latter issue was of central importance to the appeals. In the

second place, the appellate courts acquitted the applicants immediately

after the Supreme Administrative Court had quashed the

Director for Recruitment's decision not to grant exemption from

military duties on the grounds that the applicants were ministers of

a "known religion".

62. Against this background, the Court finds that the applicants'

detention following their conviction on charges of insubordination had

no basis under domestic law and was arbitrary. It cannot accordingly

be considered to have been "lawful" for the purposes of Article 5

para. 1 (art. 5-1).

63. In conclusion, there has been a violation of Article 5 para. 1

of the Convention (art. 5-1).

B. Paragraph 5 (art. 5-5)

64. The applicants further complained that despite their unlawful

detention, they were not awarded any compensation. They invoked

Article 5 para. 5 (art. 5-5), which reads:

"Everyone who has been the victim of arrest or detention in

contravention of the provisions of this Article (art. 5) shall

have an enforceable right to compensation."

The Commission agreed with the applicants.

65. The Government submitted that since the applicants' detention was

lawful (see paragraph 54 above), no question of a breach of Article 5

para. 5 (art. 5-5) could arise.

66. The Court recalls its finding that the applicants' detention

following conviction on charges of insubordination was unlawful for the

purposes of paragraph 1 of Article 5 of the Convention (art. 5-1)

(see paragraph 62 above). However, on 30 May 1991 and 29 May 1991

respectively the Military Appeal Court found that Mr Tsirlis and

Mr Kouloumpas were not entitled under Greek law to any compensation on

the ground that their detention had been due to their own "gross

negligence" (see paragraphs 24 and 41 above). In the absence of any

enforceable claim for compensation before the domestic authorities, it

follows that paragraph 5 (art. 5-5) has also been breached (see, for

example, the Fox, Campbell and Hartley v. the United Kingdom judgment

of 30 August 1990, Series A no. 182, p. 21, para. 46).

II. ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF ARTICLE 9 OF THE CONVENTION, TAKEN ALONE

AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH ARTICLE 14 (art. 9, art. 14+9)

67. The applicants further complained that they had to spend lengthy

periods in detention before obtaining exemption from military service

exclusively on account of their being members of the religious minority

of the Jehovah's Witnesses. In their submission, these complaints

raised issues under Article 9 of the Convention, both taken alone

(art. 9) and in conjunction with Article 14 (art. 14+9). These

provisions (art. 9, art. 14) read as follows:

Article 9 (art. 9)

"1. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and

religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or

belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and

in public or in private, to manifest his religion or belief, in

worship, teaching, practice and observance.

2. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs shall be

subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are

necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public

safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or

for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others."

Article 14 (art. 14)

"The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in [the]

Convention shall be secured without discrimination on any ground

such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other

opinion, national or social origin, association with a

national minority, property, birth or other status."

68. In respect of their complaint under Article 9 (art. 9), the

applicants contended that during the time spent in detention they had

been deprived of their right to exercise their duties as religious

ministers.

Under Article 9 read in conjunction with Article 14 of the

Convention (art. 14+9), the applicants, with whom the Commission

agreed, further alleged that under section 6 of the 1988 Law all

ministers of known religions have the right to be exempted from

military service. However, while the ministers of the dominant

Greek Orthodox Church obtain exemption without difficulty, they were

detained for thirteen and twelve months respectively pending the

outcome of the administrative proceedings.

69. By way of preliminary objections, the Government maintained that

the applicants' complaints under this head were introduced well after

the six-month period set out in Article 26 of the Convention (art. 26)

and that the relevant Convention provisions were never invoked in the

domestic proceedings.

As to the merits, they submitted that no provision in the

Convention requires a Contracting Party to grant exemption from

military service on grounds of religious conscience. In any event, the

Convention's system of control being by virtue of Article 26 (art. 26)

of a subsidiary nature, no violation of its provisions can be found

where redress has been obtained from the national authorities. The

requirements of the Convention were therefore fulfilled with the final

decisions of the Supreme Administrative Court.

70. The Court observes that at the centre of the present complaints

lies the issue of the applicants' detention pending the

administrative decision on their applications for exemption. Having

found that the applicants' detention was arbitrary and hence unlawful

for the purposes of Article 5 para. 1 of the Convention (art. 5-1)

(see paragraphs 60 and 62 above), the Court does not consider it

necessary to examine the same facts also from the angle of Article 9,

either taken alone (art. 9) or in conjunction with Article 14 of the

Convention (art. 14+9).

In these circumstances the Court is not required to rule on the

Government's preliminary objections.

III. ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF ARTICLES 6 PARA. 1 AND 13 OF THE CONVENTION

(art. 6-1, art. 13)

71. The applicants complained that the question of compensation for

their detention was determined in an unfair manner with insufficient

reasons and without affording them an opportunity to address the court.

They invoked Article 6 para. 1 of the Convention (art. 6-1) which, in

so far as relevant, reads:

"In the determination of his civil rights and obligations ...,

everyone is entitled to a fair ... hearing ... by [a] ...

tribunal..."

The Commission agreed with the applicants whereas the Government

contested the applicability of Article 6 para. 1 (art. 6-1) to the

proceedings in question.

72. The applicants further complained that, since the decisions of

the Military Appeal Court were final, no effective remedy under

national law for the violation of their rights under the Convention was

available to them. In their submission, this was in breach of

Article 13 of the Convention (art. 13), which reads:

"Everyone whose rights and freedoms as set forth in [the]

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."

73. The Court notes that in matters of compensation for unlawful

detention, paragraph 5 of Article 5 (art. 5-5) constitutes a

lex specialis. Having already found a breach of that provision

(art. 5-5) (see paragraph 66 above), the Court does not consider it

necessary to examine whether the breach of the State's obligation to

grant compensation in respect of the applicants' unlawful detention was

also contrary to Articles 6 para. 1 or 13 of the Convention (art. 6-1,

art. 13).

IV. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF THE CONVENTION (art. 3)

74. Before the Commission, Mr Tsirlis and Mr Kouloumpas complained

that, as a result of their detention they were subjected to treatment

prohibited under Article 3 of the Convention (art. 3). This provision

(art. 3) reads as follows:

"No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading

treatment or punishment."

75. The Government agreed with the Commission that, given the level

of severity required by Article 3 (art. 3), it could not be said that

the applicants' detention had amounted to "inhuman or degrading

treatment or punishment".

76. The Court notes that the applicants have not sought to

substantiate this complaint before it. Accordingly, no breach of

Article 3 (art. 3) has been established.

V. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 50 OF THE CONVENTION (art. 50)

77. Under Article 50 of the Convention (art. 50),

"If the Court finds that a decision or a measure taken by a legal

authority or any other authority of a High Contracting Party is

completely or partially in conflict with the obligations arising

from the ... Convention, and if the internal law of the said

Party allows only partial reparation to be made for the

consequences of this decision or measure, the decision of the

Court shall, if necessary, afford just satisfaction to the

injured party."

A. Damage

78. Mr Tsirlis and Mr Kouloumpas sought compensation for damage in

the amount of 14,700,000 drachmas (GRD) each.

79. For the Government the claims were unjustified and unsupported

by any evidence of damage. An award of GRD 600,000 should be

sufficient to cover both damage and costs in respect of the instant

case and of the case of Georgiadis v. Greece, which were pleaded

jointly (see paragraph 3 above).

80. The Court observes that Mr Tsirlis and Mr Kouloumpas spent

thirteen and twelve months respectively in what was unlawful detention

(see paragraph 62 above). The very fact of their deprivation of

liberty must have produced damage of both pecuniary and non-pecuniary

nature. However, no compensation was granted by the domestic courts.

Making an assessment on an equitable basis, as required by

Article 50 (art. 50), the Court grants Mr Tsirlis GRD 8,000,000 and

Mr Kouloumpas GRD 7,300,000 in respect of any damage they have

sustained.

B. Costs and expenses

81. The applicants claimed a total of GRD 11,200,000 in respect of

legal costs and expenses incurred both in the domestic proceedings and

before the Convention institutions.

82. The Government found the sum excessive, whereas the Delegate of

the Commission left the matter to the Court's discretion.

83. It is to be observed that the main thrust of the applicants'

allegations has led to the finding of a violation. The sum claimed is,

however, excessive. Therefore, the Court, making an equitable

assessment as required by Article 50 (art. 50), awards the applicants

a global sum of GRD 2,000,000 in respect of costs and expenses.

C. Default interest

84. According to the information available to the Court, the

statutory rate of interest applicable in Greece at the date of adoption

of the present judgment is 6% per annum.

FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT UNANIMOUSLY

1. Holds that there has been a violation of Article 5 para. 1 of the

Convention (art. 5-1);

2. Holds that there has been a violation of Article 5 para. 5 of the

Convention (art. 5-5);

3. Holds that it is not necessary to examine whether there has been

a violation of Article 9, either taken alone (art. 9) or in

conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention (art. 14+9);

4. Holds that it is not necessary to examine whether there has been

a violation of either Article 6 para. 1 or 13 of the Convention

(art. 6-1, art. 13);

5. Holds that there has been no violation of Article 3 of the

Convention (art. 3);

6. Holds

(a) that the respondent State is to pay, within three months,

8,000,000 (eight million) drachmas to Mr Tsirlis, and

7,300,000 (seven million three hundred thousand) drachmas to

Mr Kouloumpas, in respect of both pecuniary and non-pecuniary

damage; and a global sum of 2,000,000 (two million) drachmas in

respect of costs and expenses;

(b) that simple interest at an annual rate of 6% shall be payable

from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until

settlement;

7. Dismisses the remainder of the claim for just satisfaction.

Done in English and in French, and delivered at a public hearing

in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 29 May 1997.

Signed: Rolv RYSSDAL

President

Signed: Herbert PETZOLD

Registrar