SISOJEVA AND OTHERS v. LATVIA JUDGMENT 1 In the case of Sisojeva and Others v. Latvia, The European Court of Human Rights, sitting as a Grand Chamber composed of: Mr L. WILDHABER, President, Mr J.-P. COSTA, Sir Nicolas BRATZA, Mr B. ZUPANČIČ, Mr I. CABRAL BARRETO, Mr R. TÜRMEN, Mr C. BÎRSAN, Mr K. JUNGWIERT, Mr V. BUTKEVYCH, Mr M. PELLONPÄÄ, Mr M. UGREKHELIDZE, Mrs A. MULARONI, Mrs E. FURA-SANDSTRÖM, Mrs R. JAEGER, Mr David Thór BJÖRGVINSSON, Mr D. POPOVIĆ, judges, Mrs J. BRIEDE, ad hoc judge, and Mr M. O'BOYLE, Deputy Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 23 May 2006 and on 11 October 2006, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on the last-mentioned date: PROCEDURE 1. The case originated in an application (no. 60654/00) against the Republic of Latvia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by four persons of Russian origin, Mrs Svetlana Sisojeva, Mr Arkady Sisojev, Mrs Tatjana Vizule and Miss Aksana Sisojeva (“the applicants”), on 29 August 2000. 2. The applicants, who had been granted legal aid, were represented by Mr V. Portnov, a lawyer practising in Moscow. On 28 November 2006 the latter informed the Court that he would no longer be representing the applicants. The Latvian Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mrs I. Reine. The Russian Government, who had exercised their right to intervene under Article 36 § 1 of the Convention, were represented by Mr P. Laptev, representative of the Russian Federation at the Court.