The parents of a boy believed to be brain-dead in the UK have appealed to the European Court of Human Rights to prevent life-support being turned off.
As a spokesman for the court in Strasbourg confirmed on Wednesday, the application for a temporary injunction was received in the morning.
Since it is a difficult matter, the judges' examination will take time.
A decision is expected later in the evening.
One hopes that it is not too late.
With an injunction, for example referring to the "right to life" in the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 2), Strasbourg could demand that life support be continued until further notice after the 12-year-old's parents have exhausted all legal remedies in their own country.
As Great Britain is a member of the Council of Europe, it would be obliged to implement the order.
"Fight to the bitter end"
Originally, the devices that maintain the vital signs of the boy named Archie were supposed to be switched off on Monday.
Then the deadline was extended day by day.
According to media reports, the mother Hollie Dance had declared that she wanted to "fight to the bitter end".
Archie has been in a coma since April 7 after suffering serious brain injuries in an accident.
Doctors have no hope of improvement.
All British courts, including the Supreme Court in London, therefore rejected the continuation of life-sustaining measures.