Dr Dinos Ramon was born in Famagusta where he lived and practised as a chiropractor until the Turkish Invasion. In August 1974, he had nearly completed the construction of his clinic in Bogazi, but had been forced to flee as Turkish troops were advancing. Since August 1974 he lives in Nicosia where he practises as a chiropractor as he is not allowed to access his clinic in Famagusta which is in ruins. It is noteworthy that during his practice he has not only Greek Cypriot but also Turkish Cypriot clients and students.
Other than being the first Cypriot chiropractor, he is also known for his action to vidicate the violation of his Human Rights by Turkey. In 1995 he applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), where he claimed, inter alia, the violation of his Right to Property as regards his clinic in occupied Bogazi.
In 2009, the Court held that there was a violation of Article 1 Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) which protects the right of a person to the peaceful enjoyment of possessions. The ECtHR in 2010 awarded the amount of €450000 plus interest, to be paid to Dr Ramon by Turkey within 3 months. However, the said amount has yet to be paid nor has he been allowed back to his clinic.
Attempts for the execution of the ECtHR’s judgment were undertaken by Dr Ramon through the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe but to no avail.
Thus, Dr Ramon filed in 2019 an application to the District Court of Famagusta against the Republic of Turkey as the Respondent and the European Commission as a Garnishee. The aim of this action was the issuing of a garnishee order, which essentially directs the Garnishee (European Commission) not to pay to the Republic of Turkey part of pre-accession funds for the protection and promotion of Human Rights equaling the amount owed to the Applicant by virtue of the ECtHR judgment. Such an order was issued on 26 June 2019.
It is noted that the said procedure consist of two stages; the first stage, which has already been achieved, was the issuance of a garnishee order by the District Court. The second stage is the activation of the said order, after the leave of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) which should waive the immunity of the European Commission.