25/08/2021 (Agence Europe) – The European Court of Human Rights has rejected the requests for “interim measures” filed on 19 August by 672 French firefighters opposed to the compulsory Covid-19 vaccination. Citing urgency and relying on Articles 2 (right to life) and 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the Convention, they called for the activation of Article 39, which provides, exceptionally, for “interim measures” where the applicants would otherwise face “a real risk of irreparable harm”. The Court, sitting as a panel of seven judges (and not as a single judge), did not follow them, but made it clear that this position does not prejudice its subsequent decisions on the admissibility or merits of the case. If this application proceeds, the resulting judgment will be the first ruling on Covid-19 vaccination. (VL)