by Rex Wockner
International News Briefs
The European Court of Human Rights ruled unanimously March 2 that Poland discriminated against a gay man on the grounds of sexual orientation by refusing to let him continue renting his and his partner's apartment after the partner's death.
Polish courts had ruled that tenancy rights for cohabiting partners do not apply to gay couples because the nation's constitution says marriage is "a union of a man and a woman."
The Euro Court said Poland violated articles of the European Convention on Human Rights that prohibit discrimination and protect the right to respect for private and family life.
The case was brought by Piotr Kozak, who lives in the city of Szczecin, which was his landlord as well.
It took the sometimes notoriously slow Euro Court more than eight years to issue its ruling.
