The British government is on trial at the European Court of Human Rights over the death of a 27-year-old electrician, shot by police who thought he was a terrorist in the tense aftermath of deadly 2005 London subway bombings.
Jean Charles de Menezes’ death caused widespread indignation. A British police inquiry found internal mistakes about how authorities handled the case, but no grounds were found to pursue a murder trial.
The victim’s cousin brought the case to the European court in Strasbourg, France, which is holding a hearing today.
De Menezes was stalked by police and shot repeatedly in the head on July 22, 2005, when police were pursuing suspects.
In a separate civil case, British police reached a compensation deal in 2009 with his family.