A court in Strasbourg, France, has become a lifeline for citizens battling corrupt authorities. Handling thousands of cases every year, the European Court of Human Rights has grown into one of the most powerful checks on governmental laxness and abuse. In a series of articles to mark European Day of Civil Justice on October 25, RFE/RL correspondent Claire Bigg looks at the court's role as a legal weapon against injustice and human rights violations.
'My Only Thought Was To Escape The Torture' : Aleksei Mikheyev was beaten and tortured by police for nine days. But after a fruitless battle with Russian justice, he went to Strasbourg -- and won.
Confronting The Court : Russia is developing a new mechanism to curb the tide of applications to the European Court of Human Rights.
Taking Your Country To Court : Police abuse, nonpayment of pensions, silencing journalists -- some of the cases brought before the court.
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