ECHR convicts Greece for violating former head statistician’s right to fair trial

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said on Tuesday that Greece had violated the right of Andreas Georgiou, the former head of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), to a fair hearing, when a top local court denied his request to refer a legal question concerning his care to the EU Court of Justice.

"The court unanimously declares the application admissible; holds that there has been a violation of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention," the Strasbourg Court's ruling said, adding that Greece must take the necessary measures "to ensure that the proceedings before the Court of Cassation are reopened, if requested" to "redress for the violation of the applicant's rights."

Georgiou headed ELSTAT between 2010 and 2015 and had been accused in Greece of falsifying budget data in order to justify the country's first international bailout, an accusation for which has...