20 EL HASKI v. BELGIUM JUDGMENT statements be called to testify before the court to help establish the facts surrounding the contested arrest dates and the circumstances in which declarations were made to the police. The requests have been systematically rejected, however, on the basis that the proposed testimonies did not relate directly to the alleged crimes. Despite the persistent nature of allegations of torture or ill-treatment and secret detention, the judicial authorities appear to have repeatedly dismissed these allegations, without ordering investigations or medical examinations. Amnesty International is not aware of a single case in which an investigation or medical examination has been carried out. ...��� Amnesty International further observed that statements obtained by torture or ill-treatment were often used in court as evidence to obtain convictions, even though the accused generally retracted them in the courtroom. It added that during their trials many accused challenged evidence against them which had been taken from statements made by others who had been arrested and detained by the security forces on similar charges. Given the persistent allegations of statements being made to the security forces under duress, defence lawyers had requested that those who made statements be summoned to the court as witnesses in order to test the veracity of their evidence. Such requests had, however, been denied by the courts on a systematic basis. THE LAW ... II. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 OF THE CONVENTION 58. The applicant complained that the domestic courts had principally and essentially based his conviction for participation in a terrorist organisation on evidence that was vitiated and obtained in conditions that were incompatible with the requirements of the Convention. Alleging a violation of his right to a fair trial, he relied on Article 6 of the Convention, of which paragraphs 1 and 3 (d) read as follows: “1. In the determination of his civil rights and obligations or of any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law. ...” “3. Everyone charged with a criminal offence has the following minimum rights: ... (d) to examine or have examined witnesses against him and to obtain the attendance and examination of witnesses on his behalf under the same conditions as witnesses against him; ...” ...