THIRD SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 21996/22
Spyridon PANAGIOTOPOULOS
against Greece
The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting on 26 March 2026 as a Committee composed of:
Diana Kovatcheva, President,
Canòlic Mingorance Cairat,
Vasilka Sancin, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above application against the Hellenic Republic lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on 11 May 2021,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDUREThe applicant, Mr Spyridon Panagiotopoulos, was born in 1979. He was represented by Mr Ch. Ladis and Ms M. Daliani, two lawyers practising in Athens.
The applicant’s complaints under Article 3 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention, as well as under Article 13 of the Convention concerning the lack of an effective remedy in domestic law in respect of such conditions were communicated to the Greek Government (“the Government”)
On 26 November 2025 the Government informed the Registry that the applicant had died on 17 July 2022. They asked the Court to strike the application out of the list of cases since no heirs, close family members or any other person claiming to have a legitimate interest, expressed the wish to pursue the proceedings.
By a letter dated 19 December 2025 sent through the Court’s Electronic Communication Service (eComms), the applicant’s representative was informed accordingly and was invited to indicate by 16 January 2026 whether there is a person who wishes to pursue the proceedings before the Court and provide a written statement explaining their legitimate interest in having the proceedings pursued, as well as supporting documents to that effect. Following the first representative’s letter of 16 January 2026 requesting a one-month extension of the set time-limit, the Court decided by a letter dated 19 January 2026 to grant the extension requested, setting a new time-limit until 16 February 2026. The applicant’s first representative downloaded the Court’s letter on the eComms platform on 20 January 2026. However, to this date, no response has followed.
THE LAWIn the light of the foregoing, the Court concludes that the applicant’s heirs, if any, do not wish to pursue the application within the meaning of Article 37 § 1 (a) of the Convention.
Accordingly, the case should be struck out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases.
Done in English and notified in writing on 16 April 2026.
{signature_p_1} {signature_p_2}
Viktoriya Maradudina Diana Kovatcheva
Acting Deputy Registrar President