03 Feb European Court of Human Rights Judge Alleges Russia Poisoned Him
I have been travelling the last few days, so I missed this strange and potentially disturbing story from the UK’s Guardian newspaper. The former president of the European Court of Human Rights, Luzius Wildhaber, alleges that during a three-day visit to Russia last October he was poisoned. This poisoning, he alleges, occurred about the same time as the death of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London, also from poisoning. Interestingly, the ECHR itself is not backing up Judge Wildhaber’s claims.
Why would Russia want to poison a judge of the ECHR? Well, the ECHR has issued a series of very unpopular decisions in favor of Chechens alleging various human rights violations by Russia. So I suppose we have a motive. But where is the evidence? It almost sounds like we need a CSI-Strasbourg team to solve this mystery. Johnny Depp has signed on to do a movie about the LItvinenko poisoning – who would be cast to play Wildhaber?
Judge Wildhaber is not known for paranoia or recklessness, and his account of his claim seems more measured than the Guardian headline alleges:
“After everything that I have experienced at the European court I simply have to take all possibilities into account…”
The article cites suspicions about the Judge’s timing (three months after the alleged incident). It would seem instead that his timing makes perfect sense, given his retirement two weeks ago. It seems like he wanted to wait to air these allegations in a purely private capacity– another indication that he is prudent, and not a wild conspiracist.
Fair points made by Vik Kanwar.
Judge Wildhaber’s reluctance to make the allegations when still President of the Court would also suggest that the Court, or its current President, would never support Judge Wildhaber’s statements, even if they were undoubtedly well-founded.
Wouldn’t it be rather interesting if Judge Wildhaber pursued the claim in the Russian courts, and if it was then decided at Strasbourg, in Wildhaber v. Russia.
The description of the applicant’s profession alone would be a thing to savour.
(Of course, I very much doubt this will happen)
The moral of the story:
Never eat anything in Russia. Ever.