Na podlagi druge alinee prvega odstavka 107. člena in prvega odstavka 91. člena Ustave Republike Slovenije izdajam

Razglašam Zakon o ratifikaciji Evropskega sporazuma, ki se nanaša na osebe, udeležene v postopkih Evropskega sodišča za človekove pravice (MESUES), ki ga je sprejel Državni zbor Republike Slovenije na seji 31. maja 2000.

Ljubljana, 8. junija 2000

Ratificira se Evropski sporazum, ki se nanaša na osebe, udeležene v postopkih Evropskega sodišča za človekove pravice, sestavljen v Strasbourgu 6. marca 1996.

Sporazum se v angleškem izvirniku in v slovenskem prevodu glasi:

The member States of the Council of Europe, signatories hereto,
Having regard to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, signed at Rome on 4 November 1950 (hereinafter referred to as “the Convention”);
Recalling the European Agreement relating to Persons Participating in Proceedings of the European Commission and Court of Human Rights, signed at London on 6 May 1969;
Having regard to Protocol No. 11 to the Convention, restructuring the control machinery established thereby, signed at Strasbourg on 11 May 1994 (hereinafter referred to as “Protocol No. 11 to the Convention”), which establishes a permanent European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as “the Court”) to replace the European Commission and Court of Human Rights;
Considering, in the light of this development, that it is advisable for the better fulfilment of the purposes of the Convention that persons taking part in proceedings before the Court be accorded certain immunities and facilities by a new Agreement, the European Agreement relating to Persons Participating in Proceedings of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as “this Agreement”),
Have agreed as follows:

1. The persons to whom this Agreement applies are:
a any persons taking part in proceedings instituted before the Court as parties, their representatives and advisers;
b witnesses and experts called upon by the Court and other persons invited by the President of the Court to take part in proceedings.
2. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term “Court” shall include committees, chambers, a panel of the Grand Chamber, the Grand Chamber and the judges. The term “taking part in proceedings” shall include making communications with a view to a complaint against a State Party to the Convention.
3. If in the course of the exercise by the Committee of Ministers of its functions under Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention, any person mentioned in paragraph 1 above is called upon to appear before, or to submit written statements to the Committee of Ministers, the provisions of this Agreement shall apply in relation to him.

1. The persons referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 1 of this Agreement shall have immunity from legal process in respect of oral or written statements made, or documents or other evidence submitted by them before or to the Court.
2. This immunity does not apply to communication outside the Court of any such statements, documents or evidence submitted to the Court.

1. The Contracting Parties shall respect the right of the persons referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 1 of this Agreement to correspond freely with the Court.
2. As regards persons under detention, the exercise of this right shall in particular imply that:
a their correspondence shall be despatched and delivered without undue delay and without alteration;
b such persons shall not be subject to disciplinary measures in any form on account of any communication sent through the proper channels to the Court;
c such persons shall have the right to correspond, and consult out of hearing of other persons, with a lawyer qualified to appear before the courts of the country where they are detained in regard to an application to the Court, or any proceedings resulting therefrom.
3. In application of the preceding paragraphs, there shall be no interference by a public authority except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, for the detection or prosecution of a criminal offence or for the protection of health.

1. a The Contracting Parties undertake not to hinder the free movement and travel, for the purpose of attending and returning from proceedings before the Court, of persons referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 1 of this Agreement.
b No restrictions shall be placed on their movement and travel other than such as are in accordance with the law and necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, for the maintenance of ordre public, for the prevention of crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
2. a Such persons shall not, in countries of transit and in the country where the proceedings take place, be prosecuted or detained or be subjected to any other restriction of their personal liberty in respect of acts or convictions prior to the commencement of the journey.
b Any Contracting Party may, at the time of signature, ratification, acceptance or approval of this Agreement, declare that the provisions of this paragraph will not apply to its own nationals. Such a declaration may be withdrawn at any time by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
3. The Contracting Parties undertake to re-admit on his return to their territory any such person who commenced his journey in the said territory.
4. The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall cease to apply when the person concerned has had, for a period of fifteen consecutive days from the date when his presence is no longer required by the Court, the opportunity of returning to the country from which his journey commenced.
5. Where there is any conflict between the obligations of a Contracting Party resulting from paragraph 2 of this Article and those resulting from a Council of Europe convention or from an extradition treaty or other treaty concerning mutual assistance in criminal matters with other Contracting Parties, the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article shall prevail.

1. Immunities and facilities are accorded to the persons referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 1 of this Agreement solely in order to ensure for them the freedom of speech and the independence necessary for the discharge of their functions, tasks or duties, or the exercise of their rights in relation to the Court.
2. a The Court shall alone be competent to waive, in whole or in part, the immunity provided for in paragraph 1 of Article 2 of this Agreement; it has not only the right but the duty to waive immunity in any case where, in its opinion, such immunity would impede the course of justice and waiver in whole or in part would not prejudice the purpose defined in paragraph 1 of this Article.
b The immunity may be waived by the Court, either ex officio or at the request of any Contracting Party or of any person concerned.
c Decisions waiving immunity or refusing the waiver shall be accompanied by a statement of reasons.
3. If a Contracting Party certifies that waiver of the immunity provided for in paragraph 1 of Article 2 of this Agreement is necessary for the purpose of proceedings in respect of an offence against national security, the Court shall waive immunity to the extent specified in the certificate.
4. In the event of the discovery of a fact which might, by its nature, have a decisive influence and which at the time of the decision refusing waiver of immunity was unknown to the author of the request, the latter may make a new request to the Court.

Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as limiting or derogating from any of the obligations assumed by the Contracting Parties under the Convention or its protocols.

1. This Agreement shall be open for signature by the member States of the Council of Europe, which may express their consent to be bound by:
a signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval; or
b signature, subject to ratification, acceptance or approval, followed by ratification, acceptance or approval.
2. Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date on which ten member States of the Council of Europe have expressed their consent to be bound by the Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 or on the date of entry into force of Protocol No. 11 to the Convention, whichever is the later.
2. In respect of any member State which subsequently expresses its consent to be bound by it, this Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date of such signature or of the deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval.

1. Any Contracting State may, when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval or at any later date, by declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, extend this Agreement to any territory or territories specified in the declaration and for whose international relations it is responsible or on whose behalf it is authorised to give undertakings.
2. This Agreement shall enter into force for any territory or territories specified in a declaration made pursuant to paragraph 1 on the first day of the month following the expiration of one month after the date of receipt of the declaration by the Secretary General.
3. Any declaration made pursuant to paragraph 1 may, in respect of any territory mentioned in such declaration, be withdrawn according to the procedure laid down for denunciation in Article 10 of this Agreement.

1. This Agreement shall remain in force indefinitely.
2. Any Contracting Party may, insofar as it is concerned, denounce this Agreement by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
3. Such denunciation shall take effect six months after the date of receipt by the Secretary General of such notification. Such denunciation shall not have the effect of releasing the Contracting Parties concerned from any obligation which may have arisen under this Agreement in relation to any person referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 1.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall notify the member States of the Council of:
a any signature;
b the deposit of any instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval;
c any date of entry into force of this Agreement in accordance with Articles 8 and 9 thereof;
d any other act, notification or communication relating to this Agreement.
In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed this Agreement.
Done at Strasbourg, this 5th day of March 1996, in English and French, both texts being equally authentic, in a single copy which shall be deposited in the archives of the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall transmit certified copies to each member State of the Council of Europe.

Države članice Sveta Evrope, podpisnice tega sporazuma, so se
ob upoštevanju Konvencije o varstvu človekovih pravic in temeljnih svoboščin, podpisane v Rimu 4. novembra 1950, (v nadaljevanju “konvencija”),
ob sklicevanju na Evropski sporazum, ki se nanaša na osebe, udeležene v postopkih Evropske komisije in Sodišča za človekove pravice, podpisan v Londonu 6. maja 1969,
ob upoštevanju Protokola št. 11 h konvenciji, ki preoblikuje nadzorne mehanizme, vzpostavljene s konvencijo, podpisanega v Strasbourgu 11. maja 1994 (v nadaljevanju “Protokol št. 11 h konvenciji”), s katerim se ustanavlja stalno Evropsko sodišče za človekove pravice (v nadaljevanju “sodišče”), ki nadomešča Evropsko komisijo in Sodišče za človekove pravice,
ob upoštevanju, da je glede na ta razvoj za boljše uresničevanje ciljev konvencije priporočljivo, da se osebam, ki sodelujejo v postopkih pred sodiščem, z novim sporazumom, Evropskim sporazumom, ki se nanaša na osebe, udeležene v postopkih Evropskega sodišča za človekove pravice (v nadaljevanju “sporazum”), podelijo določene imunitete in ugodnosti,
sporazumele:

1. Osebe, za katere se ta sporazum uporablja, so:
a) vse osebe, ki sodelujejo v postopkih, začetih pred sodiščem, kot stranke, njihovi zastopniki in svetovalci,
b) priče in izvedenci, ki jih pokliče sodišče, in druge osebe, ki jih predsednik sodišča povabi, da sodelujejo v postopku.
2. V tem sporazumu izraz “sodišče” vključuje senate treh sodnikov, senate, zbor velikega senata, veliki senat in sodnike. Izraz “sodelovati v postopku” vključuje sporočila z namenom tožbe proti državi pogodbenici konvencije.
3. Če med opravljanjem nalog iz drugega odstavka 46. člena konvencije odbor ministrov katero koli osebo iz prvega odstavka pozove, da pride pred sodišče ali predloži pisne izjave odboru ministrov, se določbe tega sporazuma uporabljajo tudi zanjo.

1. Osebe iz prvega odstavka 1. člena sporazuma imajo imuniteto pred sodnim postopkom za ustne in pisne izjave, ki so jih dale pred sodiščem, ali za dokumente ali druge dokaze, ki so mu jih predložile.
2. Ta imuniteta se ne uporablja za objavljanje vseh takih izjav, dokumentov ali dokazov, predloženih sodišču, zunaj sodišča.

1. Pogodbenice spoštujejo pravico oseb iz prvega odstavka 1. člena sporazuma do prostega dopisovanja s sodiščem.
2. Za osebe v priporu uresničevanje te pravice še zlasti pomeni, da:
a) se njihova korespondenca odpošlje in dostavi brez nepotrebne zamude in brez spreminjanja,
b) se zaradi sporočila, poslanega sodišču po ustrezni poti, proti takim osebam ne smejo uvesti disciplinski ukrepi v kakršni koli obliki,
c) imajo take osebe glede pritožbe na sodišče ali postopka, ki iz take pritožbe izhaja, pravico do dopisovanja in zasebnega posvetovanja z odvetnikom, pooblaščenim za nastopanje pred sodišči države, v kateri so priprti.
3. Pri izvajanju prejšnjih odstavkov ne sme priti do nobenega vmešavanja javnega organa, razen takega, ki je v skladu z zakonom in je v demokratični družbi potrebno zaradi interesov državne varnosti, odkritja ali preganjanja kaznivega dejanja ali varstva zdravja.

1. a) Pogodbenice se zavezujejo, da ne bodo ovirale prostega gibanja in potovanja oseb iz prvega odstavka 1. člena tega sporazuma, da bi se udeležile postopkov pred sodiščem ali se vrnile z njih.
b) Za njihovo gibanje in potovanje se ne smejo postavljati omejitve, razen take, ki so v skladu z zakonom in so v demokratični družbi potrebne v interesu državne ali javne varnosti, za vzdrževanje javnega reda in za preprečevanje kaznivih dejanj, varstvo zdravja ali morale in za varstvo pravic in svoboščin drugih.
2. a) Take osebe se v državah tranzita in v državi, v kateri postopek poteka, ne smejo preganjati ali pripreti ali se jim kako drugače omejevati osebna svoboda zaradi dejanj ali obsodbe pred začetkom potovanja.
b) Pogodbenica lahko ob podpisu, ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi tega sporazuma izjavi, da se določbe tega odstavka ne bodo uporabljale za njene državljane. Taka izjava se lahko kadar koli umakne z uradnim obvestilom generalnemu sekretarju Sveta Evrope.
3. Pogodbenice se zavezujejo, da bodo dovolile vrnitev na svoje ozemlje vsaki osebi, ki je začela potovanje na tem ozemlju.
4. Določbe iz prvega in drugega odstavka tega člena se prenehajo uporabljati, če je oseba v petnajstih zaporednih dneh od dne, ko sodišče ne zahteva več njene prisotnosti, imela priložnost, da se vrne v državo, v kateri se je njeno potovanje začelo.
5. Če pride do nasprotja med obveznostmi pogodbenice, ki izhajajo iz drugega odstavka tega člena, in med obveznostmi, ki izhajajo iz konvencije Sveta Evrope ali iz pogodbe o izročitvi ali druge pogodbe o medsebojni pomoči v kazenskih zadevah z drugo pogodbenico, obveljajo določbe drugega odstavka tega člena.

1. Imunitete in ugodnosti se podelijo osebam iz prvega odstavka 1. člena tega sporazuma le zato, da se jim zagotovita svoboda govora in neodvisnost, potrebni za opravljanje njihovih funkcij, nalog ali dolžnosti ali za uresničevanje njihovih pravic pred sodiščem.
2. a) Le sodišče je pristojno, da v celoti ali delno odvzame imuniteto iz prvega odstavka 2. člena tega sporazuma; nima le pravice, ampak tudi dolžnost, da jo odvzame v vsakem primeru, če bi po njegovem mnenju taka imuniteta ovirala sodni postopek ter odvzem v celoti ali delno ne bi bila v škodo cilju, določenem v prvem odstavku tega člena.
b) Sodišče lahko odvzame imuniteto bodisi po uradni dolžnosti ali na zahtevo katere koli pogodbenice ali katere koli prizadete osebe.
c) Odločitve o odvzemu imunitete ali o zavrnitvi odvzema so obrazložene.
3. Če pogodbenica potrdi, da je odvzem imunitete po prvem odstavku 2. člena tega sporazuma potreben za postopek zaradi kaznivega dejanja proti državni varnosti, sodišče odvzame imuniteto v obsegu, navedenem v potrdilu.
4. Ob odkritju dejstva, ki lahko ima odločilen vpliv, in za katerega vlagatelj zahteve ni vedel v času odločitve o zavrnitvi odvzema imunitete, lahko ta predloži novo prošnjo sodišču.

Nič v tem sporazumu se ne razlaga, kot da omejuje ali nadomešča obveznosti, ki so jih pogodbenice prevzele s konvencijo ali njenimi protokoli.

1. Ta sporazum je na voljo za podpis državam članicam Sveta Evrope, ki lahko izrazijo svoje soglasje, da jih zavezuje:
a) podpis brez pridržka glede ratifikacije, sprejetja ali odobritve ali
b) podpis s pridržkom ratifikacije, sprejetja ali odobritve, ki mu sledi ratifikacija, sprejetje ali odobritev.
2. Listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi se deponirajo pri generalnem sekretarju Sveta Evrope.

1. Ta sporazum začne veljati prvi dan meseca po izteku enomesečnega obdobja od dne, ko je deset držav članic Sveta Evrope izrazilo soglasje, da jih ta sporazum zavezuje v skladu z določbami 7. člena ali z dnem začetka veljavnosti Protokola št. 11 h konvenciji, kar je kasneje.
2. Za vsako državo članico, ki kasneje izrazi svoje soglasje, da jo ta sporazum zavezuje, začne sporazum veljati prvi dan v mesecu po izteku enomesečnega obdobja od dneva podpisa ali deponiranja listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi.

1. Država pogodbenica lahko ob deponiranju svoje listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi kadar koli kasneje z izjavo generalnemu sekretarju Sveta Evrope razširi ta sporazum na katero koli ozemlje, določeno v izjavi, in za mednarodne odnose katerega je odgovorna ali v imenu katerega je pooblaščena za prevzemanje obveznosti.
2. Ta sporazum začne veljati za vsa ozemlja, navedena v izjavi iz prvega odstavka, prvi dan v mesecu po izteku enomesečnega obdobja od dneva, ko generalni sekretar prejme izjavo.
3. Vsaka izjava, dana v skladu s prvim odstavkom, se lahko umakne za katero koli ozemlje, navedeno v taki izjavi, in to v skladu s postopkom, določenim za odpoved v 10. členu tega sporazuma.

1. Ta sporazum velja nedoločen čas.
2. Pogodbenica lahko zase odpove ta sporazum z uradnim obvestilom, naslovljenim na generalnega sekretarja Sveta Evrope.
3. Taka odpoved začne veljati šest mesecev od dneva, ko generalni sekretar prejme uradno obvestilo. Posledica take odpovedi ni razrešitev prizadetih pogodbenic za katere koli obveznosti, ki bi nastale po tem sporazumu do katere koli osebe iz prvega odstavka 1. člena.

Generalni sekretar Sveta Evrope uradno obvesti države članice Sveta Evrope o:
a) vsakem podpisu,
b) deponiranju vsake listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi,
c) vsakem datumu začetka veljavnosti tega sporazuma v skladu z njegovim 8. in 9. členom,
d) vsakem drugem aktu, uradnem obvestilu ali sporočilu v zvezi s tem sporazumom.
Da bi to potrdili, so podpisani, ki so za to pravilno pooblaščeni, podpisali ta sporazum.
Sestavljeno v Strasbourgu, 5. marca 1996 v angleščini in francoščini, pri čemer sta obe besedili enako verodostojni, v enem izvodu, ki se shrani v arhivu Sveta Evrope. Generalni sekretar Sveta Evrope pošlje overjene kopije vsem državam članicam Sveta Evrope.

Za izvajanje sporazuma skrbi Ministrstvo za zunanje zadeve.

Ta zakon začne veljati naslednji dan po objavi v Uradnem listu Republike Slovenije – Mednarodne pogodbe.