Communicated on 15 September 2020
Published on 5 October 2020
THIRD SECTION
Applications nos. 74339/16 and 74359/16
Anastasis CRASOPOULIS against Cyprus
and Elli CRASOPOULI SCORDELLI against Cyprus
both lodged on 1 December 2016
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE
The applications concern the overall fairness of the criminal proceedings instigated against the applicants on 25 August 2010, and mainly the use at the trial of evidence obtained from F.H., by granting the latter immunity from prosecution by means of a plea bargain.
QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES
Did the applicants have a fair hearing, in accordance with Article 6 § 1 of the Convention? In particular, did the reliance by the courts convicting the applicants on evidence given by F.H. – a person who was granted immunity from prosecution by means of a plea bargain - affect the fairness of the proceedings? Was the applicants’ conviction based solely or to a decisive degree on that evidence? Were there sufficient counterbalancing elements, including adequate procedural safeguards, permitting a fair and proper assessment of the reliability of that evidence (see, mutatis mutandis, Adamčo v. Slovakia, no. 45084/14, 12 November 2019)?
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