issued by the Registrar of the Court
ECHR 266 (2023)
26.09.2023
Judgments of 26 September 2023
The European Court of Human Rights has today notified in writing nine judgments1;
one Chamber judgment is summarised below;
eight Committee judgments, concerning issues which have already been examined by the Court, can
The judgment summarised below is available only in English.
Yordanov and Others v. Bulgaria (applications nos. 265/17 and 26473/18)
The applicants are three Bulgarian nationals, Rosen Yordanov, Nevin Bozadzhieva, and
Gyulver Hasan, born between 1968 and 2007, and a company, Ruzh-Dil Eood, whose registered
office is in Yasenovets, Bulgaria. The first applicant, who also has Belgian nationality, lives in Antwerp
(Belgium); the second and third applicants live in Yasenovets.
The case concerns the application of legislation adopted in 2012 which provides for the forfeiture by
the State of assets alleged to have been “unlawfully acquired”. The applicants all had assets seized
following their conviction for criminal and administrative offenses, although there was allegedly no
established link between the offence(s) and the assets concerned.
Relying on Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (protection of property) to the European Convention on
Human Rights and on Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial) and Article 13 (right to an effective remedy),
the applicants complain that the forfeiture of their assets was unfair and arbitrary.
Violation of Article 1
Just satisfaction:
non-pecuniary damage: 3,000 euros (EUR) to Ms Nevin Bozadzhieva and Mr Gyulver Hasan each
costs and expenses: EUR 7,473 to Ms Nevin Bozadzhieva and Mr Gyulver Hasan
This press release is a document produced by the Registry. It does not bind the Court. Decisions,
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1
Under Articles 43 and 44 of the Convention, Chamber judgments are not final. During the three-month period following a judgment’s
delivery, any party may request that the case be referred to the Grand Chamber of the Court. If such a request is made, a panel of five
judges considers whether the case deserves further examination. In that event, the Grand Chamber will hear the case and deliver a final
judgment. If the referral request is refused, the Chamber judgment will become final on that day. Under Article 28 of the Convention,
judgments delivered by a Committee are final.
Once a judgment becomes final, it is transmitted to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for supervision of its execution.
Further information about the execution process can be found here: www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/execution
