Germany - High Regional Court Schleswig-Holsteinisches, judgment 4 A 34/07

Court name: Schleswig-Holsteinisches High Regional Court
State: Germany
Date of decision:
Legal instruments: 1954 Statelessness Convention
Key aspects: Burden of proof, Determination/confirmation of nationality, Standard of proof, State succession, Stateless status and documentation, Statelessness and asylum, Statelessness determination

The applicants are ethnic Armenians born in Azerbaijan. The case addresses extensively the situation of ethnic Armenians from Azerbaijan who left Azerbaijan before the fall of the USSR, and lived in Russia in the 90s. Their potential Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian nationalities are considered. The Court also discusses the legal residence requirement for a travel document in accordance with the 1954 Convention, and finds that such a permit does not need to be of a permanent nature. Applicants are found stateless by the Court and entitled to a stateless persons travel document.