The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled against the Danish Prison and Probation Service in a case concerning the death of a man in Kolding Arrest in 2011. The court found that Denmark violated the right to life in this instance.

Ekrem Sahin died after being held in a chest-turned leg lock by prison officers for 13 minutes. The incident occurred on January 11, 2011, at Kolding Arrest. Sahin lost consciousness and was subsequently taken to Odense University Hospital. He died three days later at the age of 23.

The ECHR’s judgment, delivered on Tuesday, stated that the Danish Prison and Probation Service had failed to maintain adequate and up-to-date training and control regarding the use of force.

According to Tobias Stadarfeld Jensen, the lawyer representing the complainant, this marks the first time Denmark has been convicted by the ECHR for violating the right to life.

The case was brought before the ECHR by Sahin’s mother, who argued that her son’s death constituted a violation of his right to life. She expressed relief that justice had finally been served after years of pursuing the case.

Despite multiple investigations into the incident, Danish authorities had previously concluded that the prison officers did not use unnecessary force and declined to prosecute them.

The ECHR’s press release stated that the court found the prison authorities had failed to ensure sufficient and clear rules for the use of chest-turned leg locks, including in the training of prison staff.

The Danish Prison and Probation Service has a three-month window to request that the case be heard by the Grand Chamber of the ECHR.

The European Court of Human Rights is located in Strasbourg, France and is responsible for ensuring that member states of the Council of Europe adhere to their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.