Case Work

Strategic litigation is a major focus of our work. It involves identifying and pursuing cases on critical human rights issues which if successful are likely to have a high impact at the national, regional or international level. Successful litigation can establish important legal precedents or effect changes in legislation, policy or practice. It can also positively influence public opinion.

A decision whether to work on an individual case is taken after considering established case selection criteria. In addition to reviewing the potential impact of a piece of litigation, we assess our own resources and expertise in order to determine if we can bring real added value to the case. And given that there are number of a differing ways in which we can support a case from simply providing advice, to co-representing applicants in partnership with local lawyers or intervening on issues of public interest as a third party or amicus curiae we also need to review how best we can become involved.

Sometimes there are potential negative effects to consider.How likely are we to win a case? What would the impact be of a negative decision? Could a successful decision have negative consequences, for example by causing a public backlash against the very people we are acting to defend?

Below you will find information on cases which INTERIGHTS has been involved with. The cases are listed by the year in which we began our work on them: cases are listed from 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 20062005  

Abu Zubaydah v Lithuania
European Court of Human Rights; Liberty & security, extraordinary rendition, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, private life, family, remedies

Jurčević v Croatia
European Court of Human Rights; Sexual violence, secondary victimisation, private life, rape, positive obligation on state to investigate and prosecute

Gauer v France
European Court of Human Rights; Disability, discrimination, sterilisation, informed consent, torture, gender based violence

El-Masri v the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
European Court of Human Rights; Extraordinary rendition, extradition, deportation, torture, detention

Aghdgomelashvili and Japaridze v Georgia
European Court of Human Rights; Homophobic ill-treatment, arbitrary strip searches, discrimination, failure to investigate

Djordjevic and Djordjevic v Croatia
European Court of Human Rights;  Disability hate crime, states' obligations

Baltasar Garzón v Spain
European Court of Human Rights; Judicial independence, rule of law

al-Asad v Djibouti
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; Extraordinary rendition, secret detention, torture

Mohamed et al v Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc
US Supreme Court; Torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, enforced disappearance, extraordinary rendition, due process

  back to top of page

Lautsi v Italy
European Court of Human Rights; Education, religion

Abu Zubaydah v Poland
National courts; Extraordinary rendition, torture, unlawful detention

Babar Ahmad and others v the United Kingdom
European Court of Human Rights; Extradition, non-refoulement, solitary confinement, inhuman and degrading treatment

Stanev v Bulgaria
European Court of Human Rights; Disability, liberty, community living

Kawogo v the United Kingdom
European Court of Human Rights; Migrant domestic workers, trafficking, vulnerability, gender issues, positive obligations on states to protect

Kiyutin v Russia
European Court of Human Rights; Discrimination, HIV, immigration, family

Qablan and others v Commander of the Military Forces in the Occupied Territories
Supreme Court of Israel; Movement, family, children, discrimination

KAOS GL v Turkey
European Court of Human Rights; Discrimination, expression, sexual orientation

Farcas v Romania
European Court of Human Rights; Disability, fair hearing, positive obligations

Jones v UK, Mitchell & Ors v UK
European Court of Human Rights; Torture, cruel or inhuman treatment, state immunity, remedies

Vejdeland v Sweden
European Court of Human Rights; Expression, sexual orientation

 back to top of page

Kebede & Another v Ethiopia
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; Rule of law, judicial independence, right to property

Orsus v Croatia
European Court of Human Rights; Education

Baysakov and Others v Ukraine
European Court of Human Rights; Extradition, fair hearing, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment

Câmpeanu v Romania
European Court of Human Rights; Disability, right to life, health

DD v Lithuania
European Court of Human Rights; Disability, access to justice 

Malacu and others v Romania (the Poiana Mare Hospital case)
European Court of Human Rights; Disability, health, inhuman and degrading treatment, right to life

Izevbekhai v Ireland
European Court of Human Rights; Cruel , inhuman or degrading treatment. equality, torture. movement (relocation)

Catan and 27 Others v Moldova and Russia, Caldare and 42 Others v Moldova and Russia and Cercavschi and 98 Others v Moldova and Russia

European Court of Human Rights; Discrimination, education, family life, privacy, remedies

Al-Skeini and Others v the United Kingdom
European Court of Human Rights; Extra-territorial applicability of human rights law, life, effective remedy, cruel and inhuman treatment, torture

2008 back to top of page

Finogenov & Ors v Russia
European Court of Human Rights; Life; health

Garayev v Azerbaijan
European Court of Human Rights; Liberty and security, torture, extradition, remedies

Rantsev v Cyprus and Russia
European Court of Human Rights; Trafficking, positive obligations of states

Hadijatou Mani v Niger
ECOWAS Community Court of Justice; Slavery, equality, private life, marriage

INTERIGHTS v Greece
European Committee of Social Rights; Housing, discrimination, minorities

2007 back to top of page

Mikayil Mammadov v Azerbaijan
European Court of Human Rights: Right to life, investigation

Kajikabi & Others v The Arab Republic of Egypt
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; Right to life, freedom from discrimination, freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, right to assembly

Boumediene and Others v Bosnia and Herzegovina
European Court of Human Rights; Liberty and security, extraordinary rendition, cruel and inhuman treatment

DH and Others v Czech Republic
European Court of Human Rights; Education, children, equality

Good v Botswana
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; Freedom of expression, due process

INTERIGHTS v Croatia
European Committee of Social Rights; Health, education, children, private life

Maskhadovy v the Russian Federation
European Court of Human Rights; Right to life, right to private and family life, freedom of religion

Opuz v Turkey
European Court of Human Rights; Right to life, degrading treatment, effective remedy, discrimination

R (on the application of Al Skeini and Others) v the Secretary of State for Defence
House of Lords, United Kingdom; Liberty and security, life, effective remedy, cruel and inhuman treatment, torture, extra-territorial applicability

Tysiac v Poland
European Court of Human Rights; Private life, family life, health, effective remedy, women

2006 back to top of page

Jones v Saudi Arabia
House of Lords, United Kingdom; Torture, cruel or inhuman treatment, state immunity, remedies

INTERIGHTS and EIPR (on behalf of Sabah and Others) v Egypt
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; Torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, fair hearing, death penalty

INTERIGHTS and Ditshwanelo (on behalf of Oteng Modisane Ping) v Botswana
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; Death penalty, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment

2005 back to top of page

Ramzy v The Netherlands
European Court of Human Rights; Torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, non-refoulement

ZLHR and SAHRIT v Zimbabwe
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; Shelter, health and education

 back to top of page

Nachova & Others v Bulgaria
European Court of Human Rights; Discrimination

 back to top of page

Association of Victims of Post Electoral Violence & INTERIGHTS v Cameroon
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights; State’s obligations, post-electoral violence