EIT: 14-vuotiaan lapsen avioliiton tunnustamatta jättäminen ei loukannut EIS 8 artiklaa

Euroopan ihmisoikeustuomioistuin (EIT) on tänään antamallaan päätöksellä todennut, että Sveitsillä ei ollut velvollisuutta tunnustaa lapsiavioliittoa. Sveitsi oli näin ollen voinut palauttaa aikuisen miehen Sveitsistä Italiaan Dublin II -asetuksen perusteella loukkaamatta perhe- tai yksityiselämän suoojaa.

EIT:n lehdistötiedotteesta:

In today’s Chamber judgment in the case of Z. H. and R. H. v. Switzerland (application no. 60119/12) the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been:

no violation of Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The case concerned the asylum applications of two Afghan nationals, Ms. Z.H. and Mr. R.H., who married in a religious ceremony in Iran when Ms Z.H. had been a child, and which were considered separately – the couple not being considered legally married by the Swiss authorities – resulting in the expulsion of Mr R.H. to Italy. In the proceedings before the European Court, the couple alleged that the expulsion of Mr Z.H. had breached their right to respect for their family life.

The Court found that at the time of the removal of Mr Z.H. to Italy, the Swiss authorities had been justified in considering that the applicants were not married. It held, in particular, that Switzerland was under no obligation to recognise the marriage of a child, emphasising the importance of the protection of children and considering the regulation of marriage an issue best addressed by the national courts.

Koko lehdistötiedote, missä myös linkki koko tuomioon, löytyy täältä: here