2 YUMAK AND SADAK v. TURKEY JUDGMENT Ireneu Cabral Barreto, Rıza Türmen, Mindia Ugrekhelidze, Antonella Mularoni, Elisabet Fura-Sandström and Dragoljub Popović, judges, and Sally Dollé, Section Registrar. 5. A hearing on the merits (Rule 54 § 3) was held in public in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 5 September 2006. 6. In its judgment of 30 January 2007 (“the Chamber judgment”), the Chamber held by five votes to two that there had been no violation of Article 3 of Protocol No. 1. The joint dissenting opinion of Judges Ireneu Cabral Barreto and Antonella Mularoni was annexed to the judgment. 7. On 21 April 2007 the applicants asked for the case to be referred to the Grand Chamber by virtue of Article 43 of the Convention. On 9 July 2007 a panel of the Grand Chamber granted the request. 8. The composition of the Grand Chamber was determined according to the provisions of Article 27 §§ 2 and 3 of the Convention and Rule 24. 9. The applicants and the Government each filed observations on the merits. Observations were also received from Minority Rights Group International, a non-governmental organisation based in London, which the President had authorised to intervene in the written proceedings (Article 36 § 2 of the Convention and Rule 24). 10. A hearing took place in public in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg, on 21 November 2007 (Rule 59 § 3). There appeared before the Court: (a) for the Government Mr M. ÖZMEN, Mr H. HÜNLER, Ms A. ÖZDEMIR, Ms V. SIRMEN, Ms Y. RENDA, Ms Ö. GAZIALEM, (b) for the applicants Mr T. ELÇI, Mr T. FISHER, Ms E. FRANK, Mr R. SADAK, Co-Agent, Counsel, Advisers; Representative, Advisers, Applicant. The Court heard addresses by Mr Elçi and Mr Özmen and replies from Mr Fisher and Mr Özmen to questions from several judges.