Slovakia has lost a dispute at the European Court of Human Rights, which has ordered the Slovak Republic to settle damages to a Swiss lady from the town of Neuchâtel.
The woman was kept in custody for more than three whole years without being given a trial on suspicions of fraud and forgery. The Slovak authorities arrested the woman back in 2003 and detained her until May 2006.
The European Court of Human Rights noted that Slovakia had violated the European human rights convention, as it lays down the right of individuals to have a speedy trial.
The woman was awarded a little over CHF 5,000 in damages (about EUR 3,700) even though her claim was for CHF 250,000 *approx. EUR 185,000).