The ECHR has decided not to rule on the ban on smoking in prisons, considering that the case no longer has parties involved.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced that it will refrain from ruling on the ban on smoking in prisons, initially considered contrary to human rights. In November 2025, the ECHR voted four votes against and three in favor, establishing that the total ban on smoking in Estonian prisons, introduced in 2017, violates the inmates' right to private life.

Three inmates challenged the measure, complaining of withdrawal symptoms. The Estonian government requested a review of the case by the Grand Chamber of the ECHR. The judges found that the plaintiffs' lawyer had left the profession, and of the three, two had been released from prison and could not be found, while the third had passed away. Thus, the ECHR abandoned the case, declaring that the previous ruling is devoid of legal effect.