Published on 3 March 2025
 
THIRD SECTION
Applications nos. 30903/18 and 35115/18
M.A. and Others against Greece
and Z.A.N. against Greece
lodged on 3 July 2018 and 1 October 2018 respectively
communicated on 14 February 2025
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE
The applicants are refugees. They belong to religious and ethnic minorities and initially resided in Moria camp in Lesvos. On 25 May 2018 a conflict broke out in Moria between a group of Arab and Kurdish men. The conflict escalated and expanded to the entirety of the camp and its outskirts. The applicants are either victims of the incident or their family members and/or witnesses.
On 26 May 2018 the applicants were temporarily placed by the authorities in Larsos accommodation structure (in Lesvos), operated at the time by an NGO. The accommodation centre was subsequently considered inappropriate on public health grounds and the authorities ordered that it should not be used.
In early July 2018, when the applicants were residing in Larsos, they allege that they were requested to return to Moria and feared eviction and return thereto, where their lives would allegedly be endangered by the perpetrators of the incident.
The applicants complain under Article 3 (procedural limb) taken in conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention of the authorities’ failure to adequately investigate and establish whether there was an ethnic/racist/religious motive in the incident of 25 May 2018. They further rely on Article 3 of the Convention as regards (i) their living conditions in Moria and Larsos settlement (for the latter as of mid-July 2018 and onwards); (ii) the alleged incompatibility of their living conditions and lack of special protection after the violent clash with regard to their status either as victims or their family members and/or witnesses of hate crimes. They additionally complain under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention about the discontinuation of the payment of their monthly allowance for reception conditions. Lastly, they complain under Article 13 of the Convention of a lack of an effective remedy in order to put the issue of their living conditions, including that of the discontinuation of the payment of their monthly allowance for reception conditions, to the domestic authorities.
QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES
1.  Have the authorities failed in their duty to investigate the existence of any possible racist/ethnic/religious motive behind the acts of violence complained of, in violation of Article 3 under its procedural limb in conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention?
2.  Having regard to the applicants’ situation, were their living conditions in Moria camp and Larsos settlement, for the period in question, compatible with the requirements of Article 3 of the Convention? With regard to the allegations in respect of their status as victims, or family members and/or witnesses of the violent incident, were they afforded adequate special protection?
3.  (a)  Has there been an interference with the applicants’ rights under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention, on account of the discontinuation of the payment of their monthly allowance for reception conditions?
(b)  If so, did that interference amount to a violation of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1?
4.  Did the applicants have at their disposal an effective remedy, as required under Article 13 of the Convention, in order to put the issue of their living conditions, including that of the discontinuation of the payment of their monthly allowance, to the domestic authorities?
 
 
 
APPENDIX (anonymity has been granted)
Application no. 30903/18
 
No.
Applicant’s name
Date of birth
Nationality
1.
M.A.
1974
Syrian
2.
A.A.
1996
Iraqi
3.
A.H.
1999
Syrian
4.
A.H.
1997
Syrian
5.
K.H.
1966
Syrian
6.
M.H.
1993
Syrian
 
Application no. 35115/18
 
No.
Applicant’s name
Date of birth
Nationality
1.
Z.A.N.
1994
Yemeni