ERGI JUDGMENT OF 28 JULY 1998
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particular in the sense that its exercise must not be unjustifiably hindered by
the acts or the omissions of the authorities of the respondent State (see the
Aksoy v. Turkey judgment of 18 December 1996, Reports 1996-VI,
p. 2286, § 95, and the above-mentioned Aydın and Menteş and Others
judgments at pp. 1895–96, § 103, and p. 2715, § 89, respectively).
However, Article 13 applies only in respect of grievances under the
Convention which are arguable (see, for instance, the Boyle and Rice v. the
United Kingdom judgment of 27 April 1988, Series A no. 131, p. 23, § 52).
Whether that was so in the case of the applicant’s claims under Article 2 has
to be decided in the light of the particular facts and the nature of the legal
issues raised.
97. In this regard, the Court notes that the Commission agreed with the
submissions of the applicant that, given the south-facing position of the
balcony and the position of the neighbouring houses, in particular a high
wall to the east, it had been probable that the bullet which killed Havva Ergi
had been fired from the south or south-east (see paragraph 40 above). The
Government had not contested this. Furthermore, having regard to the
failure of the Government to provide requested documents and information,
the Commission had found that strong inferences could be drawn supporting
the applicant’s allegations that the security forces had opened fire around
the village for some time and that units of the security forces had been
present towards the south. The Commission also found that there was
significant evidence indicating that the bullet may have been fired by the
security forces (see paragraph 41 above). In view of the foregoing
considerations, the Court finds that there can be no doubt that the applicant
had an arguable claim for the purposes of Article 13.
98. As to the further question whether the requirements of this provision
were complied with, the Court recalls that the nature of the right which the
authorities were alleged to have violated in the instant case, one of the most
fundamental in the scheme of the Convention, must have implications for
the nature of the remedies which must be guaranteed for the benefit of the
relatives of the victim. In particular, the notion of an effective remedy for
the purposes of Article 13 entails, in addition to the payment of
compensation where appropriate, a thorough and effective investigation
capable of leading to the identification and punishment of those responsible
and including effective access for the relatives to the investigatory
procedure (see, mutatis mutandis, the above-mentioned Aksoy and Aydın
judgments at p. 2287, § 98, and pp. 1895–96, § 103, respectively). Seen in
these terms the requirements of Article 13 are broader than a Contracting
State’s procedural obligation under Article 2 to conduct an effective
investigation (see paragraph 82 above).
Against this background, the Court recalls its findings above that the
authorities failed to carry out an effective investigation into the
circumstances surrounding the death of Havva Ergi. In the view of the