Arthur Carlos Barros Basto’s grandson appealed to the court

Isabel Barros Lopes, granddaughter of Portuguese captain Arthur Carlos Barros Basto, filed a complaint. European Court of Human Rights The Jewish community in Porto said on Friday that it was demanding that the Portuguese state re-enlist its grandfather and issue an apology.

Founder: Barros Basto Porto Jewish community He was dismissed from his post in the Portuguese army in 1937 after participating in the circumcision of his students in 1923. The move also stripped him of his salary, pension and benefits, the community said.

Barros Basto, who died in 1961, was remembered by the Jewish community in Porto. Alfred Dreyfus Because his case bore similarities to that of the French officer who was dismissed from the French army and stripped of his ranks after being falsely accused of treason, tried and convicted in 1894.

According to the community, various efforts over the years to reinstate Barros Lopes have been unsuccessful. Faced with the inaction of the Portuguese state, Barros Lopes’ grandson appealed to the European court.

The appeal alleges that the captain’s case violated Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees everyone the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time.

The building of the European Court of Human Rights is seen before the start of a hearing on Ukraine’s case against Russia over human rights violations in Crimea, in Strasbourg, France, September 11, 2019 (source: REUTERS/VINCENT KESSLER)

‘It is vital to correct the mistakes made in the past’

The community said the appeal “is an incentive for a definitive judgment against the Portuguese State and for that State to posthumously reinstate Arthur Carlos Barros Basto as a colonel and to apologize to the family of the targeted officer for a terrible, long-running case.” He said he wanted to. It has been going on for almost a century,” Barros Lopes said of his appeal.

“This is a just cause and I want to see justice in the end and not leave the struggle to future generations,” Barros Lopes said.

“Especially at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world, it is vital that the wrongs of the past are righted and that my grandfather posthumously returns to the army he loved and fought in for most of his life. “We gave the Portuguese authorities ample opportunity to do the right thing, so now we must present our formal defense to the European Court of Human Rights.”