The Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that this is the first time that Latvia requests permission of the court to engage as a third-party status in an interstate case. Previously, Latvia has engaged in a number of cases in which a person's complaint regarding alleged violations of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in another state is being examined.
“Trans-national complaints are an emergency mechanism which is used in very rare cases, usually in situations where there are serious concerns about systematic and persistent human rights violations, including mass human rights violations during armed conflicts,” said the Foreign Ministry.
States receiving third-party status will have the opportunity to present their observations on the alleged infringements of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in judicial proceedings. The decision on the granting of status to Latvia will be taken by the ECT.
