"In the event of the Commission accepting a petition referred to it:
a. it shall, with a view to ascertaining the facts, undertake together with the representatives of the parties an examination of the petition and, if need be, an investigation, for the effective conduct of which the States concerned shall furnish all necessary facilities, after an exchange of views with the Commission;
b. it shall at the same time place itself at the disposal of the parties concerned with a view to securing a friendly settlement of the matter on the basis of respect for Human Rights as defined in this Convention."
5. The Commission found that the parties had reached a friendly settlement of the case and on 9 March 1998 adopted this Report, which, in accordance with Article 28 para. 2 of the Convention, is confined to a brief statement of the facts and of the solution reached.
6. The following members were present when the Report was adopted:
MM S. TRECHSEL, President
J.-C. GEUS
M.P. PELLONPÄÄ
E. BUSUTTIL
G. J÷RUNDSSON
A.S. G÷ZÐBÐYÐK
A. WEITZEL
J.-C. SOYER
H. DANELIUS
Mrs G.H. THUNE
MM F. MARTINEZ
C.L. ROZAKIS
Mrs J. LIDDY
MM L. LOUCAIDES
M.A. NOWICKI
I. CABRAL BARRETO
B. CONFORTI
N. BRATZA
I. BÉKÉS
J. MUCHA
D. SV¡BY
G. RESS
A. PERENIC
C. BÎRSAN
K. HERNDL
E. BIELIUNAS
E.A. ALKEMA
M. VILA AMIGÓ
Mrs M. HION
MM R. NICOLINI
A. ARABADJIEV
PART I
STATEMENT OF THE FACTS
7. The applicant is a religious association based in Sofia.
8. The applicant association was founded and registered in 1991 under the Persons and Family Act. In 1994 the Act was amended to the effect that religious associations were required to re-register subject to the consent of the Council of Ministers. The registration of an association which had not received authorisation to re-register from the Council of Ministers was to be cancelled.
9. The applicant association applied to the Council of Ministers for authorisation to re-register. The Council of Ministers did not react to the applicant's requests for a hearing. On 28 June 1994 the Council of Ministers adopted Decision No. 255 thereby refusing authorisation. The decision stated that it was based on Section 133a and the transitional provision of the Persons and Family Act; no further reasoning was provided.
10. The applicant association did not receive an official copy of this decision. Members of the applicant association first became aware of its contents on 5 August 1994 during a police action in the town of Haskovo. On 9 September 1994 Decision No. 255 was published in the State Gazette, the official organ of the State.
11. On 15 September 1994 the applicant association appealed to the Supreme Court against Decision No. 255. On 13 March 1995 the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal. The Court found that it could only examine whether the Council of Ministers had acted within its competence.
12. Following the adoption of Decision No. 255 various measures were taken against the activities of the applicant association and of its members. These included arrests, dispersal of meetings held in public and private locations and confiscation of religious materials.
13. Before the Commission the applicant association complained under Articles 9, 10, 11 and 14 of the Convention of the suspension of its registration and activities. The applicant association also complained under Article 6 of the Convention that it had no access to a court competent to decide on the merits. The applicant association further complained under Article 10 of the Convention of hostile media reports, including interviews with public officials, and of the alleged impossibility to publish material in response.
PART II
SOLUTION REACHED
14. Following the decision on the admissibility of the application, the Commission placed itself at the disposal of the parties with a view to securing a friendly settlement in accordance with Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the Convention and invited the parties to submit any proposals they wished to make.
15. In accordance with the usual practice, the Secretary, acting on the Commission's instructions, contacted the parties to explore the possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.
16. By letters of 8 and 12 September 1997 the parties indicated their willingness to reach a friendly settlement. The parties exchanged correspondence and proposals for a friendly settlement and held meetings in Sofia on 20 and 21 November 1997. On 17 January 1998, upon the parties' request, the Commission made proposals to the parties with a view to resolving some remaining differences in their positions. The parties again met in Sofia on 10 February 1998.
17. By letters of 10 and 11 February 1998 the parties informed the Commission of the final text of the friendly settlement. This text, compiled on the basis of the correspondence received from the parties, reads as follows:(AJWRB IS PROVIDING ORGINAL FRENCH TEXT AND AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION)
"I. Concernant la substitution du service militaire par un service alternatif, le Gouvernement Bulgare s'engage ý dÈposer au Parlement un projet de loi, dans les meilleurs dÈlais, instituant un service civil alternatif au service militaire.
I. Concerning the substitution of mandatory military service with alternative service, the Government of Bulgaria is undertaking to submit to Parliament a draft of the legislation, as soon as possible, instituting a civil service as an alternative to military service.
1.1. Le projet, selon l'avis de la requÈrante, rÈpond aux exigences des objecteurs de conscience, fidËles des TÈmoins de JÈhovah, qui souhaitent effectuer un service civil alternatif en remplacement du service militaire.
1.1 The draft, according to the judgement of the petitioner, responds to the demands of conscientious objectors, members of Jehovah's Witnesses, who wish to partake of alternative civilian service in lieu of military service.
1.2. Le projet de loi dÈfinitif, dÈposÈ par le Conseil des Ministres au Parlement, sera soumis immÈdiatement ý la Commission europÈenne des Droits de l'Homme.
1.2 The final draft of this legislation, introduced by the Council of Parliamentary Ministers, will be submitted immediately to the European Commission on Human Rights.
II. Concernant la position des TÈmoins de JÈhovah sur le sang, la requÈrante s'engage ý rÈdiger une dÈclaration, qui sera annexÈe de faÁon intÈgrante aux statuts des TÈmoins de JÈhovah de Bulgarie en vue de son immatriculation, stipulant que :
II. Concerning the position of Jehovah's Witnesses on blood, the petitioner undertakes to draw up a declaration which will be appended to integrate the status of Jehovah's Witnesses of Bulgaria, in view of their registration, stipulating that:
2.1. - les patients TÈmoins de JÈhovah recourent systÈmatiquement aux soins mÈdicaux pour eux-mÍmes et leurs enfants ; il appartient ý chacun d'entre eux d'utiliser son libre arbitre, sans aucun contrÙle et sanction de la part de la requÈrante ;
2.1 - Jehovah's Witness patients resort to the use of the medical system for themselves and their children; each member having the right to make use of this [medical system] freely at their own discretion, without any controls or sanctions on the part of the petitioner; (EMPHASIS OURS)
2.2. - s'agissant du respect de la lÈgislation sanitaire bulgare, l'association chrÈtienne les TÈmoins de JÈhovah de Bulgarie s'engage ý respecter son application, y compris :
2.2 - acting according to the Bulgarian health legislation, the Christian Association of Jehovah's Witnesses in Bulgaria undertakes to respect the application of said legislation, which comprises:
2.2.1. - en ne fournissant pas de dÈclaration prÈalable de refus de transfusion de sang aux personnes mineures;
2.2.1 - to not furnish an advance medical directive refusing blood transfusions to minor persons; [this means that baptized and unbaptized minors will be prohibited from carrying a no-blood card]
2.2.2. - en ce qui concerne les personnes majeures, en observant les dispositions de ladite lÈgislation et en reconnaissant ý chaque individu la libertÈ de choix.
2.2.2 - concerning persons who have achieved the age of majority, in observing the dispositions of said legislation recognizes that each individual retains the freedom of choice.
III. Concernant la reconnaissance du culte des TÈmoins de JÈhovah, par l'Etat Bulgare, comme religion officielle :
III. Concerning the recognition of the sect of Jehovah's Witnesses, by the State of Bulgaria, as an official religion:
3.1. L'association chrÈtienne les TÈmoins de JÈhovah s'engage ý retirer sa requÍte contre la Bulgarie dÈposÈe devant la Commission europÈenne des Droits de l'Homme ;
3.1 The Christian Association of Jehovah's Witnesses will undertake to withdraw its petition against Bulgaria submitted to the European Commission of Human Rights;
3.2. En consÈquence, compte tenu du retrait de la requÍte, le Gouvernement Bulgare, s'engage ý immatriculer les TÈmoins de JÈhovah en Bulgarie, en tant que culte, conformÈment ý la loi sur les confessions religieuses.
3.2 Consequently, having withdrawn said petition, the Government of Bulgaria will undertake to register Jehovah's Witnesses and their way of worship in Bulgaria, conforming to the legislation regarding religious expression.
3.3. En consÈquence, compte tenu du retrait de la requÍte, le Gouvernement Bulgare s'engage Ègalement ý rÈvoquer le point 16 de l'annexe 2 au point 4 de l'arrÍtÈ du Conseil des Ministres n° 255 de 1994.
3.3 Consequently, having withdrawn said petition, the Government of Bulgaria will undertake equally to revoke subsection 16 of annex 2 to section 4 of the arresting of the Council of Ministers #255 of 1994.
IV. Seront appliquÈes les modalitÈs techniques suivantes, concernant la radiation de la requÍte, Ètant donnÈ la dÈcision d'immatriculer les statuts de l'association ý Sofia :
4.1. L'association requÈrante dÈpose ý la Direction des Affaires religieuses les statuts, conformes aux termes du prÈsent rËglement amiable, et les autres documents exigÈs pour l'immatriculation.
4.2. AprËs examen, la Direction des Affaires religieuses constate la conformitÈ des statuts aux termes du prÈsent rËglement amiable et se prononce pour l'immatriculation de l'association requÈrante.
4.3. L'association requÈrante retire sa requÍte N° 28626/95.
4.4. La Direction des Affaires religieuses immatricule l'association requÈrante conformÈment aux termes du prÈsent rËglement amiable."
18. At its session on 9 March 1998, the Commission noted that the parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement. It further considered, having regard to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the Convention, that the friendly settlement of the case had been secured on the basis of respect for Human Rights as defined in the Convention.
For these reasons, the Commission adopted the present Report.
M. de SALVIA S. TRECHSEL
Secretary President
to the Commission of the Commission