The persons to whom this Agreement applies are:

A.

All persons involved in the proceedings before the Court, either as a party or as a representative or counsel of a party;

B.

Witnesses, experts called by the Court, and other persons invited by the President of the Court to participate in the proceedings.

2. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term "Court" means the Committees, the Chambers, the College of the Grand Chamber, the Grand Chamber and the Judges. The expression "participating in the proceedings" also refers to any communication aimed at the introduction of a directed against a State Party to the Convention.

3. In the case where, in the course of the exercise by the Committee of Ministers of the functions conferred upon it by the application of s. 46, para. 2, of the Convention, a person referred to in s. 1 above shall be called to appear before it or to submit written declarations, the provisions of this Agreement shall also apply to that person.

1. The persons referred to in s. 1 of the art. 1 of this Agreement shall enjoy immunity from jurisdiction in respect of their oral or written statements to the Court, as well as to the documents submitted to it.

2. This immunity does not apply to the communication outside the Court of the declarations made or of documents produced before the Court.

1. The Contracting Parties shall respect the rights of the persons referred to in s. 1 of the art. 1 of this Agreement to correspond freely with the Court.

2. In the case of detained persons, the exercise of this right includes, inter alia:

A.

Their correspondence must be transmitted and remitted to them without undue delay and without alteration;

B.

These persons may not be subject to disciplinary action as a result of a communication sent to the Court by the appropriate channels;

C.

Those persons have the right, with regard to a request to the Court and any resulting proceedings, to correspond with a counsel admitted to plead in the courts of the country in which they are held and to speak with him without being able to be heard By anyone else.

3. In the application of the preceding paragraphs, there may be interference by a public authority only in so far as such interference is provided for by law and constitutes a necessary measure in a democratic society for security National, research and prosecution of a criminal offence or the protection of health.

1.

A. The Contracting Parties undertake not to prevent the persons referred to in s. 1 of the art. 1 of this Agreement to travel and travel freely to attend and return to the proceedings before the Court.

B.

No other restriction may be imposed on such movements and movements as those provided for by law are necessary measures in a democratic society, national security, public safety, law and order Public, the prevention of criminal offences, the protection of health or morals, or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

2.

A. In transit countries and in the country where the proceedings are taking place, such persons may not be prosecuted, detained or subjected to any other restriction of their individual liberty because of prior convictions or convictions in the Beginning of the journey.

B.

Any Contracting Party may, at the time of signature, ratification, acceptance or approval of that Agreement, declare that the provisions of that paragraph shall not apply to its own nationals. Such a declaration may be withdrawn at any time by notification addressed to the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe.

3. The Contracting Parties undertake to allow these persons to return to their territory when they have started their journey there.

4. The provisions of s. 1 and 2 of this Article shall cease to apply where the person concerned has had the opportunity, for 15 consecutive days after his presence has ceased to be required by the Court, to return to the country where his journey has commenced.

5. In the event of a conflict between the resulting obligations for a Contracting Party of s. 2 of this Article and those resulting from a convention of the Council of Europe or an extradition treaty or another treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters concluded with other Contracting Parties, the provisions of s. 2 of this section shall prevail.

1. The immunities and facilities shall be granted to the persons referred to in s. 1 of the art. 1 of this Agreement solely for the purpose of ensuring the freedom of speech and independence necessary for the performance of their duties, tasks or duties, or in the exercise of their rights before the Court.

2.

A The Court shall have the sole right to express the total or partial waiver of the immunity provided for in subs. 1 of the art. 2 of this Agreement; it not only has the right but the duty to waive immunity in all cases where, in its opinion, it would impede the course of justice and its total or partial lifting would not be detrimental to the purpose defined in subs. 1 of this article.

B.

Immunity may be waived by the Court, either ex officio or at the request of any Contracting Party or any interested person.

C.

Decisions to waive or refuse immunity shall be justified.

3. If a Contracting Party certifies that the waiver of immunity under s. 1 of the art. 2 of this Agreement is necessary for the prosecution of national security offences, the Court shall waive the immunity to the extent specified in the certificate.

4. In the event of discovery of a fact of such a nature as to exert a decisive influence and which, at the time of the decision refusing the waiver of immunity, was unknown to the author of the application, the latter may refer a new application to the Court.

None of the provisions of this Agreement shall be construed as limiting or derogating from the obligations assumed by Contracting Parties under the Convention or its Protocols.

1. This Agreement shall be open for signature by the member States of the Council of Europe which may express their consent to be bound by:

A.

Signature without reservation of ratification, acceptance or approval; or

B.

Signature subject to ratification, acceptance or approval, followed by ratification, acceptance or approval.

2. Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date on which ten member States of the Council of Europe have expressed their consent to be bound by the Agreement, in accordance with Provisions of s. 7, if at that date Protocol No. ^O 11 to the Convention entered into force, or on the date of entry into force of Protocol No. ^O 11 to the Convention otherwise.

(2) For any Member State which subsequently expresses its consent to be bound by the Agreement, it shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date of signature or of the deposit of the instrument of Ratification, acceptance or approval.

(1) Any Contracting State may, at the time of the deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, or at any other time thereafter, extend the application of this Agreement by declaration addressed to the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, to any territory designated in the declaration for which it is responsible for international relations or for which it is entitled to stipulate.

2. This Agreement shall enter into force in respect of any territory designated under s. 1 on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date of receipt of the declaration by the Secretary-General.

3. Any declaration made under s. 1 may be withdrawn, in respect of any territory designated in that declaration, under the conditions laid down in accordance with the procedure laid down for denunciation by Art. 10 of this Agreement.

(1) This Agreement shall remain in force without limitation of duration.

2. Any Contracting Party may, as far as it is concerned, denounce this Agreement by sending a notification to the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe.

The denunciation shall take effect six months after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General. However, such denunciation shall not have the effect of untying the Contracting Party concerned from any obligation which may have arisen under this Agreement in respect of any person referred to in s. 1 of the art. 1.

The Secretary-General of the Council of Europe shall notify the member states of the Council of:

A.

Any signature;

B.

Deposit of any instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval;

C.

Any date of entry into force of this Agreement, in accordance with its art. 8 and 9;

D.

Any other act, notification or communication relating to this Agreement.

In witness whereof , the undersigned, duly authorized to that effect, have signed this Agreement.

Done at Strasbourg, on 5 March 1996, in English and French, both texts being equally authentic, in a single copy which shall be deposited in the archives of the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall transmit certified copies to each member state of the Council of Europe.

(Suivent signatures)