austria (not) celebrating 50 years of echr ratification

Since hardly anyone knows the full extent of their human rights in Austria, it is not surprising that a major human rights achievement – Austria’s ratification of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms – 50 years ago went unnoticed today.

The impact of judgments by the European Court of Human Rights can be seen in the scope of freedom of speech and the – albeit slight – amendment of criminal provisions against “sodomy”. However, the implementation and therewith the enjoyment of the rights enshrined in the Convention appear to still be largely an issue for a select few.