Commentary
Years in the making, the first-ever trial has been held by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) for a case concerning an extradition to China—and the decision, out just weeks ago, is extraordinary, and can best be likened to an undetected earthquake. Consequences will be felt across all of Europe, not merely the EU.
The ECtHR is the court established by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). It is a legally binding treaty for all its 46 member states, which includes all of Europe except Belarus and, since this year, Russia, which was expelled after refusing to follow one of its decisions. It is the highest court of its kind for the nearly 700 million people in its member states….