After a hearing on 16 September 2003, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) declared admissible the application lodged by 13 Chechens, who were arrested by Georgian border guards on 3-5 August 2002, near the Chechen section of the Russo-Georgian border.
As the press release of the ECHR Registrar reads, the Court further decided to organize fact-finding missions in Georgia and Russia to take evidences from the applicants and witnesses.
The case concerns an application lodged by 13 people apparently of Chechen origin who are at present detained in Russia and Georgia. The application was lodged with the Court on 4 and 9 October 2002.
The Chechens were charged with illegal crossing the state boarder and unlawful possessing and trading in firearms. Five of them were immediately extradited to Russia at the request of the latter, while the other eight Chechens remain in detention in Tbilisi.