The applicant, Genadijs Mihailovs, is a permanently resident non-citizen of Latvia who was born in 1947 and currently lives in a State social care institution in Lielbērze, Auru parish (Latvia). He is disabled and has epilepsy. The case concerns his complaint that he has been held against his will in a State-run social care institution for more than ten years without possibility of release. He relies on Article 5 §§ 1 & 4 (right to liberty and security / right to have lawfulness of detention decided speedily by a court) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Further relying on Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life and the home), he also alleges that his wife, who was his guardian until September 2011, did not represent his interests, opposing all of his attempts to defend his rights.
Citation: Mihailovs v Latvia (App no 35939/10) ECHR 22 January 2013
(from the official press-release prepared by the Registry Office of the European Court of Human Rights)