In the context of the ongoing reform of the ECtHR a special emphasis at the seminar was put on the new rules of submitting the application form and the methods of drafting the claim text. After that, the lecturers addressed certain aspects of those Articles of the European Convention which had not featured in claims before.
Article 10 (right to freedom of speech and dissemination of information) and Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) were in focus of discussion of cases of pressure on human rights activists in the North Caucasus and Stavropolsky region. In connection with the issue of family violence against women and children, patterns of application of Article 3 (prohibition of torture) and Article 8 (right to respect for private life) were also addressed.
Individual consultations with Astreia staff lawyers also found their place on the seminar agenda. It can be hoped that a seminar with a programme as packed as that not only broke new grounds for working out new criteria of choosing cases to be submitted to the ECtHR, but also has good perspectives of continued efforts toward organizing similar events.