Vardosanidze v. Georgia

Information Note on the Court’s case-law 240May 2020Vardosanidze v. Georgia - 43881/10Judgment 7.5.2020 [Section V]Article 2Positive obligationsDeath from carbon monoxide poisoning following reconnection of improperly installed gas-operated water heater despite warning from gas company: no violationFacts – In June 2007 gas company technicians discovered, as part of a safety check, that a gas-operated water heater had been improperly installed in the apartment of the applicant’s son. The inspection record indicated that the water heater had been disconnected from the gas pipe and that the resident had been provided with instructions. In April 2008 the applicant’s son was found dead at home. A forensic medical examination concluded that he had died as a result of poisoning by carbon monoxide. The domestic courts upheld the decision of the prosecutor to terminate a preliminary investigation …