No alternative on that side.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday rejected a request from 672 professional and volunteer firefighters opposed to the vaccine obligation against Covid-19, which is imposed on them by the law of August 5, 2021.
"The court considered that these requests were outside the scope of Article 39 of its rules" which allows it to be seized under an emergency procedure when the applicants are exposed to "a real risk of irreparable damage", she announced this Wednesday.
The decision of the ECHR, taken by a formation of seven judges, does not however "presage its subsequent decisions on the admissibility or on the merits of the cases in question", specifies the court.
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The firefighters had invoked the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights relating to the “right to life” and to the “right to respect for private and family life”.
They asked the Court to "suspend the vaccination obligation" provided for by the law of August 5, 2021 relating to the management of the health crisis and also to suspend "the provisions providing for the prohibition to exercise their activity" for those of between them who would have "not satisfied the vaccination obligation" as well as "the interruption of the payment of their remuneration".
First decision on the issue of vaccines
In a press release announcing its intention to seize the Court, described as "the main policeman of Europe", the Sud SDIS union of firefighters insisted at the beginning of August on the fact that it was "not against the vaccine" but against the vaccination obligation "very badly received, including by agents already vaccinated".
This decision does not put an end to the dispute: The #CEDH is intended to rule on the merits of the complaint against #France.
This will then be the 1st European judgment on the vaccine obligation against # COVID19.
But the whole will be informed by this recent precedent: https: //t.co/qSAbvyPJre
- Nicolas Hervieu (@N_Hervieu) August 25, 2021
The court, which sits in Strasbourg, has already ruled in a case relating to the vaccination obligation, on April 8, seized by Czech parents who refused to have their children vaccinated against childhood diseases.
The court considered that this obligation could be "necessary in a democratic society".
This judgment, even if it did not relate to vaccination against Covid-19, is considered a setback for antivaccines.
The vaccination obligation concerns nursing and non-nursing staff in hospitals and retirement homes, professionals and volunteers working with the elderly, including at home, as well as firefighters or ambulance attendants.
It has also been extended to gendarmes assigned to the field or in contact with the public.
Until September 15, staff subject to compulsory vaccination may still present a negative screening test. Then, until October 15 - date of entry into force of the measure - he will have to justify the administration of at least one dose.