Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held on April 27 a public hearing into application lodged by the Girgvliani family against Georgia.

Enukidze and Girgvliani v. Georgia involves a murder case of 28-year-old Sandro Girgvliani in 2006. The case has turned into the key political issue in 2006 and it reemerges time after time in Georgia’s political discourse, because of persisting allegations that the investigation covered up possible links of Interior Ministry officials, as well as of wife of Interior Minister, Vano Merabishvili, to this murder case.

Four officers from Interior Ministry’s Department for Constitutional Security were convicted for this murder case; they were all pardoned and granted a pre-term release in September, 2009.

Applicants – Irina Enukidze (mother of Sandro Girgvliani, who died in August, 2007 after lodging the application) and Guram Girgvliani (the father) – claim that the rights under article 2 (right to life); article 3 (prohibition of torture); article 6 (right to a fair trial) and article 13 (right to an effective remedy) of Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms were violated.

Applicants have requested EUR 300,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage, RFE/RL Georgian service reported.

ECHR said the ruling will be delivered "at a later stage".