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Police officers patrol along the Serbian-Hungarian border
Photo: MARTON MONUS / REUTERS
When several Syrians tried to get to Hungary via the Balkan route in 2016, they were pushed back by border guards.
A man drowned in the border river Tisza.
Now the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has sentenced Hungary in connection with the death of the person seeking protection.
The judges in Strasbourg decided that Hungary would have to pay almost 40,000 euros in damages.
They thus agree with a claim by the drowned man's brother, who had appealed to the court.
Pushed back with tear gas and police dogs
The Syrian, together with his brother and other refugees, including a family with three children, wanted to cross the Tisza by boat from Serbia to Hungary.
They were helped by smugglers.
The plaintiff stated that Hungarian border guards wanted to push them back to Serbia.
They used tear gas and threw stones, and police dogs were released when he tried to go ashore.
His brother drowned trying to swim back to the Serbian shore.
Hungary denied this account.
The man alleged a violation of the right to life and that the authorities did not adequately investigate the case.
The Court has now partially agreed with him.
The authorities had not adequately fulfilled their obligation to protect the life of the man.
Hungary has to pay 34,000 euros in damages and 5,600 euros in legal costs.
The European Court of Human Rights, based in Strasbourg, France, is part of the Council of Europe.
The bodies, which are independent of the EU, work to protect human rights in the 46 member states.
mrc/dpa