Protection of Criminals’ Human Dignity in Sentencing Phase in Light of ECtHR Jurisprudence

Protecting human dignity as an inherent and inviolable right is one of the most important obligations of the government even when a person is liable for his criminal behavior before the law. Adopting a descriptive-analytical method, the present study endeavors to answer the basic question that based on the procedure of the European Court of Human Rights, as an innovative and developed international judicial body, what elements should the courts consider when issuing a judgment in order to impose a punishment protecting the human dignity? After reviewing some judgments of the Court, the research concluded that by observing some formal and substantive principles such as justification of conviction, charge bargaining, ne bis in idem principle, citation of high quality laws, proportionality of offence and punishment and non-recourse to severely painful punishments, the human dignity of offenders is safeguarded. Accordingly, in case of non-observance of the mentioned principles, the legal systems would be exposed to serious human rights challenges, because states' lack of attention to the human dignity of criminals, would make the repressive nature of states to prevail over the fundamental rights of citizens.