THIRD SECTION
\nCASE OF MALYSHEV v. RUSSIA
\n(Application no.\u00a046192\/07)<\/p>\n
JUDGMENT
\nSTRASBOURG
\n3 March 2020<\/p>\n
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.<\/p>\n
In the case of Malyshev v. Russia,<\/strong><\/p>\n The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Committee composed of: Having deliberated in private on 4 February 2020,<\/p>\n Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:<\/p>\n PROCEDURE<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. The case originated in an application (no. 46192\/07) against the Russian Federation lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (\u201cthe Convention\u201d) by aRussian national, Mr\u00a0Aleksandr Pavlovich Malyshev (\u201cthe applicant\u201d), on 9\u00a0September 2007.<\/p>\n 2. The applicant, who had been granted legal aid, was represented by Mr\u00a0E.V. Markov, a lawyer practising in Budapest. The Russian Government (\u201cthe Government\u201d) were represented by Mr G. Matyushkin, Representative of the Russian Federation to the European Court of Human Rights, and then by his successor in that office, Mr M. Galperin.<\/p>\n 3. The applicant alleged, in particular, that he had been ill-treated by the officers of a local department of the Federal Drug Control Service and that the inquiry into his ill-treatment complaint had been ineffective.<\/p>\n 4. On 18\u00a0February 2013 notice of the complaints concerning the applicant\u2019s alleged ill-treatment in police custody, the authorities\u2019 failure to carry out an effective investigation into his complaints, the lack of the effective remedy in respect of that complaint and an alleged interference with the applicant\u2019s property rights was given to the Government.<\/p>\n THE FACTS<\/strong><\/p>\n I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE<\/p>\n 5. The applicant was born in 1979 and lives in St Petersburg.<\/p>\n A. The applicant\u2019s alleged ill-treatment on 10 and 17-18\u00a0January 2007<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Events of 10\u00a0January 2007<\/em><\/p>\n 6. According to the official account of the events, on 10\u00a0January 2007 officers of the Cherepovets Unit of the Vologda Regional Department of the Federal Service of Drug Control (\u201cthe Drug Control Service\u201d, \u201cthe FSKN\u201d) held an operative-search activity \u201ctest purchase\u201d in respect of the applicant on the basis of the operative information received from K., the applicant\u2019s acquaintance, who had identified him as a person who had been selling drugs to her since November 2006.<\/p>\n 7. At about 8\u00a0p.m. on that date the Drug control officers apprehended the applicant on the street and brought him to the local Drug Control office. The arrest record was not compiled.<\/p>\n 8. According to the applicant, a FSKN officer G. searched him, seized a mobile phone, 100\u00a0US dollars (USD) and 7,100Russian roubles (RUB) allegedly won by the applicant in a casino, planted sachets of methamphetamine on him and \u201creplaced\u201d a part of the banknotes (RUB\u00a02,100) belonging to the applicant with those marked with special substance. G. allegedly hit the applicant to the head and body and threatened to rape him. Then at some point the officer again searched the applicant in the presence of lay witnesses and seized the drugs from him.<\/p>\n 9. On the same date an investigator recorded the applicant\u2019s explanations. The applicant submitted, in particular, that the police had seized RUB\u00a07,100 from him. The record, signed by the applicant without any objections, did not mention the mobile phone or an amount in US dollars.<\/p>\n 10. Between 8.20\u00a0p.m. and 9.20\u00a0p.m. the applicant was searched at the Drug Control office in the presence of the lay witnesses Pop. and Lap. Methamphetamine and MDMA, commonly known as \u201cecstasy\u201d, and the sum of RUB 7,100 were seized from him. The applicant signed the record and had not objected to its contents.<\/p>\n 11. On the same date G. proposed to the applicant to participate in another \u201ctest purchase\u201d, that is to buy drugs from a certain private person. G. allegedly threatened to beat and rape him if the test purchase failed. According to subsequent refusals to initiate criminal proceedings, the applicant agreed that his USD\u00a0100 be used for the test purchase.<\/p>\n 12. On 11\u00a0January 2007 the applicant met the dealer and gave him money but the latter allegedly fled the police. The applicant did not come back to the Drug Control office, allegedly out of fear. The official account of the events is that the applicant escaped during the covert operation.<\/p>\n 13. On the same date the applicant met Ms B., his partner, and told her that he had been ill-treated by a Drug Control officer. Ms B. did not see any injuries on his body. The applicant told her that the policemen had hit him to the head, so that the injuries could not be seen on him.<\/p>\n 14. The applicant did not undergo a medical examination after these events.<\/p>\n 15. On 17\u00a0January 2007 the applicant called Ms Kud., his acquaintance, using the SIM card he had previously used in the mobile phone allegedly taken from him by G. (as confirmed by Mal.\u2019s statement and a billing record). According to the applicant, he inserted the card into a different mobile phone to make a call.<\/p>\n 2. The applicant\u2019s arrest and alleged ill-treatment on 18\u00a0January 2007<\/em><\/p>\n 16. At about 11\u00a0p.m. on 17\u00a0January 2007 the Drug Control officers apprehended the applicant and brought him onto the Drug Control premises. At 0.25\u00a0a.m. on 18\u00a0January 2007 the applicant\u2019s arrest as a suspect was recorded. At 3.10\u00a0a.m. on the same date the applicant was transferred to the temporary detention centre of Cherepovets (\u201cthe IVS\u201d). He was examined by the IVS officer on arrival. No injuries were found on him.<\/p>\n 17. According to the IVS logbooks, at 9.40\u00a0a.m. on 18\u00a0January 2007 the applicant was transferred from the IVS to the Drug Control Service.<\/p>\n 18. The applicant submits that officer G. threatened him there and urged him to confess in the presence of I. and Gan., private persons who had been transferred to the Drug Control office in connection with inquiries unrelated to the applicant\u2019s case.<\/p>\n 19. Between 10.30 and 11.50 a.m.the applicant was questioned as a suspect by investigator Sov. in the presence of a lawyer. According to the interrogation record, the applicant informed the investigator about G.\u2019s threats and the alleged theft of his money and mobile phone on 10\u00a0January 2007. At noon on that date the investigator charged the applicant with attempted sale of narcotic drugs and ordered a forensic medical examination aimed at detecting\u201cany evidence of the applicant\u2019s consumption of narcotic drugs and any injuries\u201d. The applicant and his lawyer studied relevant documents until 12.15\u00a0a.m.<\/p>\n 20. According to the applicant, thereafter G. took him to a gym in the Drug Control building. G. had a photo camera with him. He ordered the applicant \u201cto put a carton cockscomb on his head[1]\u201d, so that G. could take pictures of him. The applicant refused, and G. hit and kicked him in the face and body. He attempted to undress the applicant, threatened to rape him and to take pictures. G. continued to beat the applicant urging him to write a confession; however, the applicant did not produce a self-incriminating statement.<\/p>\n 21. Then G. brought the applicant to a cell in the same building. I.\u00a0allegedly saw G in the corridor hitting the applicant in the head.<\/p>\n 22. After that G. took the applicant to his office and allegedly hit his back with a roll of wall-paper. He also continued to insult the applicant and told him, in particular, that the applicant \u201ccould complain to anyone, G. [would] never be punished\u201d.<\/p>\n B. Transfer to the IVS and medical evidence of the applicant\u2019s injuries<\/strong><\/p>\n 23. At 3\u00a0p.m. on 18\u00a0January 2007 the applicant was transferred back to the IVS. According to the applicant, he asked the IVS officers to call a doctor. They allegedly replied that the doctor would come and see him on 19\u00a0January 2007.<\/p>\n 24. According to IVS officer V., interviewed by an investigator during the first round of the pre-investigation inquiry (see below),on 18\u00a0January 2007,the applicant had looked depressed but had not had visible injuries. Once the Drug Control officers who escorted him left the cell, the applicant told V. that he had been beaten by the policemen.<\/p>\n 25. At some point on 19\u00a0January 2007 the applicant made a handwritten note in the IVS\u2019s logbook of medical examinations: \u201cWas not beaten in the IVS. Have no complaints\u201d.On the same date anIVS officer M. saw a redness on the applicant\u2019s cheek. She called the ambulance for him. At 4.39\u00a0p.m. an ambulance doctor examined the applicant.<\/p>\n 26. According to the medical certificate of 19\u00a0January 2007 by the local emergency hospital, the applicant complained about the beatings by a Drug Control officer. The applicant had the following injuries: \u201ca bruise of 4\u00a0cm in diameter in the right lower eyelid area; a minor oedema of the soft tissues in the haematoma area; amucosal break of the lower lip in the incisors area on the right\u201d. No injuries were detected on his body. The applicant was diagnosed with soft tissue injuries of the face.<\/p>\n 27. On the same date the applicant was transferred to remand centre IZ\u201135\/3 of Cherepovets. According to an \u201cact\u201d compiled on 19\u00a0January 2007 by two remand prison officers on duty and a medical assistant (feldsher) of the remand centre, the applicant had a red-blue bruise on the right zygomatic region.On 20\u00a0January 2007 the applicant wrote \u201can explanation\u201d to the remand centre officers to the effect that on 18\u00a0January 2007 he had been beaten by G. at the Drug Control Office premises.<\/p>\n 28. On 2\u00a0February 2007 the applicant\u2019s forensic medical examination was conducted pursuant to the investigator\u2019s order (see paragraph\u00a019 above). The expert found traces of drug injections on the applicant and found no other visible injuries on him.<\/p>\n C. Pre-investigation inquiries and refusals to institute criminal proceedingsinto the applicant\u2019s alleged ill-treatment<\/strong><\/p>\n 29. On 16\u00a0January 2007 the applicant complained about the alleged beatings and the theft of his belongings on 10\u00a0January 2007 to the prosecutor\u2019s office of Cherepovets of the Vologda Region (\u201cthe prosecutor\u2019s office\u201d). On 19\u00a0January 2007 the applicant lodged a complaint about the beatings of 18\u00a0January 2007. In both complaints the applicant requested that criminal proceedings be brought against G. on account of abuse of power and ill-treatment.<\/p>\n 30. On 2 and 22\u00a0February\u00a02007 an investigator of the town prosecutor\u2019s office on two occasions held inquiries and refused to bring criminal proceedings against G.On 15\u00a0March 2007 the Cherepovets Town Court quashed those refusals upon the applicant\u2019s complaint, having found that the investigator had failed to make legal assessment of the applicant\u2019s allegations of theft and ill\u2011treatment.<\/p>\n 31. In the meantime, the investigator questioned I. and Gan. Mr Gan. stated that he had heard G. calling the applicant \u201ca cock\u201d, seen him taking the applicant out from the office, and then heard the applicant screaming behind a wall. When G. had brought the applicant back, the latter had a red bruise on his cheek and an abrasion of the lips. Mr I. said that he had seen G. slapping the applicant in the face when brining the applicant to a cell.<\/p>\n 32. On 4\u00a0April 2007 the prosecutor\u2019s office issued a new refusal to bring criminal proceedings against the policeman, which was subsequently quashed on 1\u00a0June 2007 by the Deputy Prosecutor of Cherepovets.<\/p>\n 33. On 10\u00a0June 2007 the prosecutor\u2019s office held an inquiry in accordance with Article\u00a0144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and refused to bring criminal proceedings against G., for the lack of corpus delicti in his actions.<\/p>\n 34. As regards the allegations that the alleged beatings and the theft of the applicant\u2019s belongings on 10\u00a0January 2007, the prosecutor found no evidence of the offence apart from the applicant\u2019s own statements. In particular, the applicant\u2019s injuries had never been recorded. Two lay witnesses who had been present at the applicant\u2019s search had not seen G. beating the applicant, and had not noticed any injuries on him. Furthermore, his allegations contradicted to the submissions of G. who denied accusations of theft. The prosecutor concluded that the applicant complained about the theft in order to avoid criminal liability for drug trafficking.<\/p>\n 35. As regards the alleged ill-treatment on 18\u00a0January 2007, the prosecutor referred to the applicant\u2019s account of the events, as well as to the depositions of I. and Gan., who confirmed that on 18\u00a0January 2007 they had seen the applicant at the Drug Control office, and that his lip had been split and there had been a bruise on his face. The prosecutor cited a statement by Drug Control officer Yu. , identified by the applicant as an eye-witness of the beatings; Yu. had denied having seen any use of force against the applicant. The prosecutor further referred to the testimony by IVS officer V. who submitted that the applicant\u2019s examination of 18\u00a0January 2007 had not revealed any injuries on his body; to the submissions of the IVS official M. who had called the ambulance for the applicant on 19\u00a0January 2007; and to the depositions of G. and Yu. who denied any use of force against the applicant. G. claimed that the applicant had told him that he would injure himself and then lodge a complaint against the policeman. The prosecutor rejected the statements by Gan. and I. as unreliable since they had been the applicant\u2019s acquaintances. In particular, between 20\u00a0January and 28\u00a0April the applicant and I. were detained in the same cell and could have agreed on a version of the events favourable to the applicant.The prosecutor noted that on 18\u00a0January 2007 the applicant had not had visible injuries and therefore the traumas revealed on 19\u00a0January 2007 had been self-inflicted.<\/p>\n 36. At some point the refusal was set aside by an unknown authority.<\/p>\n 37. On 8\u00a0July 2007 the town prosecutor\u2019s office issued another refusal to initiate criminal proceedings. This decision was upheld by the deputy prosecutor of Cherepovets on 7\u00a0September 2007. On 12\u00a0February 2008 the Cherepovets Town Court granted the applicant\u2019s appeal against the refusals and quashed them. The court observed, in particular, that the prosecutor\u2019s office had failed to examine the episode of the applicant\u2019s transfer from the IVS to the Drug Control Service between 9.40\u00a0a.m. and 3\u00a0p.m. on 18\u00a0January 2007;and that several persons, including lay witnesses, had not been interviewed and that the investigation authorities had failed to establish all relevant facts. The court further noted that the investigator had omitted to assess the depositions of IVS officer V. (see paragraph\u00a024 above). The court also noted the investigator\u2019s failure to interview Ms Mal. who had received on 17\u00a0January 2007 a phone call from the mobile phone allegedly stolen from the applicant.<\/p>\n 38. In 2008-15 several further refusals were issued by the Cherepovets Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Vologda Region (\u201cthe investigative department\u201d), in charge of the investigation since 14\u00a0March 2008. All the refusals were set aside either by a higher investigative authority or a court (see paragraph\u00a041 below for details).<\/p>\n 39. On 5\u00a0May 2015 investigator K. of the investigative department again refused to open criminal proceedings against G. upon the applicant\u2019s ill\u2011treatment complaint. He found that the applicant had inflicted injuries to himself to avoid criminal liability, and that the applicant\u2019s account was not supported by any evidence, since his allegations and the testimonies of Gan. and I. had been refuted by statements of officers G. and V.<\/p>\n 40. On 2\u00a0June 2016 the decision was upheld by the first-instance court.<\/p>\n 41. On 12\u00a0September 2016 the Vologda Regional Court quashed the lower court\u2019s decision and declared the refusal of 5\u00a0May 2015 unlawful and unfounded. The court observed that the inquiry had been pending for eight years. Twenty-two refusals to bring criminal proceedings had been issued, and twenty-one of them had been subsequently set aside as unlawful and unfounded. Refusals of 22\u00a0May, 7\u00a0August and 3\u00a0September 2008, 4\u00a0May 2009, 14\u00a0January 2011 had been issued without any additional measures being taken, and quashed for the failure to rectify the previously identified shortcomings. The refusals of 30\u00a0May, 3\u00a0July, 3\u00a0August, 11\u00a0September, 15\u00a0November and 29\u00a0December 2013 had been set aside for the failure to comply with the instructions contained in the decision of 30\u00a0April 2013. The conclusion on the injuries being self-inflicted of 5\u00a0May 2015 had not been supported by any proof, the applicant\u2019s statements had not been recorded correctly in the decision and, furthermore, the first-instance court had failed to address those shortcomings.<\/p>\n 42. It appears that at some point in 2016 a domestic court convicted twelve Drug Control officers of Cherepovets, including G. , Yu., Vor. and Sov., of several counts of unlawful drug sale, abuse of power, fraud, perjury and causing serious bodily harm, and sentenced them to various terms of imprisonment. There is nothing to suggest that those criminal proceedings concerned the applicant\u2019s allegations of ill-treatment and theft.<\/p>\n 43. On 23\u00a0January 2017 the investigator of the prosecutor\u2019s office again refused to open criminal proceedings. On 27\u00a0March 2017 the Cherepovets town court upheld the refusal. The applicant appealed, arguing, in particular, that the decision reproduced verbatim the previous refusal of 5\u00a0May 2015, already declared unlawful (see paragraphs\u00a039 and41 above).On 7\u00a0June 2017 the Vologda Regional Court quashed the lower court\u2019s decision as taken in G.\u2019s absence and remitted the case for a fresh examination by the first-instance court.<\/p>\n 44. It appears that the inquiry into the applicant\u2019s allegations of ill\u2011treatment was pendinguntil at least late 2017.<\/p>\n D. Criminal proceedings against the applicant<\/strong><\/p>\n 45. On 19\u00a0January 2007 the Cherepovets Town Court of the Vologda Region ordered the applicant\u2019s placement into custody pending trial. His pre\u2011trial detention was further twice extended by the same court.<\/p>\n 46. On 28\u00a0April 2007 the town court convicted the applicant of illicit purchase and attempted sale of narcotic drugs on 10\u00a0January 2007 and sentenced him to five years and six months\u2019 imprisonment and a fine in the amount of RUB\u00a020,000.<\/p>\n 47. During the trial the applicant argued that some of the banknotes and drugs seized from him on 10\u00a0January 2007 had been planted on him by G. He further submitted that on 10\u00a0and 17-18\u00a0January 2007 G. had beaten him up. The court heard witnessesI. and Gan. who submitted that they had seen bruises on the applicant\u2019s face on 18\u00a0January 2007. The court found that those witnesses\u2019 depositions did not corroborate the applicant\u2019s allegations of beatings on 10\u00a0January 2007. The court did not address the ill-treatment allegations in respect of the episode of 18\u00a0January 2007.<\/p>\n 48. As regards the amount of RUB\u00a07,100 allegedly seized from the applicant, the court established that RUB\u00a02,100 of that amount had not belonged to the applicant as these were banknotes marked with the special substance given to him during the test purchase operation. The court found that the remaining RUB\u00a05,000 belonged to the applicant and ordered that amount to be directed to the State Treasury for the repayment of the fine (see paragraph\u00a046 above).<\/p>\n 49. On 5\u00a0June 2007 the Vologda Regional Court quashed the conviction for illicit purchase of drugs and upheld the remainder of the judgment. The appeal court did not address the ill-treatment complaint raised by the applicant on appeal.<\/p>\n II. RELEVANT DOMESTIC LAW<\/p>\n 50. For the relevant provisions of domestic law on the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment and the procedure for examining a criminal complaint, see Lyapin v. Russia, no.\u00a046956\/09, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a096-102, 24\u00a0July 2014, and Ryabtsev v. Russia, no.\u00a013642\/06, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a048\u201152, 14\u00a0November 2013.<\/p>\n THE LAW<\/strong><\/p>\n I. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE\u00a03 OF THE CONVENTION<\/p>\n 51. In the application form of 22\u00a0April 2008 applicant complained under Article\u00a03 of the Convention that on 10 and 18\u00a0January 2007 he had been ill\u2011treated by the Drug Control officers and the investigation into his allegations had been ineffective. Article\u00a03 of the Convention reads as follows:<\/p>\n \u201cNo one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n A. The parties\u2019 submissions<\/strong><\/p>\n 52. The Government argued that the complaint had been lodged out of time, since the applicant should have brought his grievance to the Court within six months after 15\u00a0March 2007, the date of the Cherepovetsk Town Court decision, but had only done so on 22\u00a0April 2008. They submitted that the domestic inquiry had complied with the procedural requirements of Article\u00a03 of the Convention. The inquiry had been pending by the time of submission of their observations (11\u00a0June 2013), and the final domestic decision had not been taken yet.<\/p>\n 53. The applicant notedin reply that on 15\u00a0March 2007 the domestic court detected several shortcomings in the pre-investigation inquiry and returned the case-file to the investigating authority. Therefore, at that time it was not evident for the applicant that his respective complaints had no prospects of success \u2013 on the contrary, he reasonably expected that the shortcomings would be rectified. In any event, he noted that the Government had failed to advance any explanation of how the applicant could have sustained the injuries confirmed by the medical certificate of 19\u00a0January 2007 if not as a result of the ill-treatment on 17-18\u00a0January 2007 by officer G. at the FSKN premises. The applicant\u2019s handwritten note in the IVS logbook should be understood as stating that the injuries had not been inflicted on him by the IVS personnel. Since 19\u00a0January 2007 he had consistently complained to the authorities about the ill-treatment by G. However, no effective investigation had followed, and no explanation of the injuries advanced by the authorities.<\/p>\n B. The Court\u2019s assessment<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Admissibility<\/em><\/p>\n (a) Six months issue<\/p>\n 54. The Court is unable to accept the Government\u2019s argument that the six-month time-limit in respect of the complaint should have been calculated as from 15\u00a0March 2007, the date of the first-instance court\u2019s decision pointing to the lack of legal assessment of the applicant\u2019s grievances by the investigative authority. In is not disputed by the parties that between that date and the applicant\u2019s submission of the application form to the Court several rounds of the pre-investigative inquiry were conducted, and each time the applicant challenged their outcome before either a higher investigative authority or a court (see paragraphs\u00a032-43 above). The applicant clearly maintained reasonable contact with the authorities, cooperated with the investigation and took steps to speed the proceedings up, in the hope of a more effective outcome. The Court concludes that there were no unexplained delays in bringing his application to the Court and dismisses the Government\u2019s objection.<\/p>\n (b) As regards the events of 10\u00a0January 2007<\/p>\n 55. As regards the alleged ill-treatment of 10\u00a0January 2007, the Court notes that there is no evidence is support of the applicant\u2019s submissions. The applicant, even though at liberty, had not sought medical assistance to record his injuries (see paragraph\u00a014 above), and did not advance any reasons for that omission. The Court further has regard to certain inconsistencies in his account of events. On the one hand, he submitted to the domestic authorities and the Court that the lay witnesses could have confirmed having seen injuries on his body. However, the lay witnesses, interviewed during the inquiry, had maintained that the applicant had been in good health on the impugned date. On the other hand, it appears that he had told to his partner that he had beento the head, and therefore had had no visible injuries \u2013 and, indeed, the partner had not seen any injuries on him after the events (see paragraph\u00a013 above). These factors damage the credibility of the applicant\u2019s allegations of ill-treatment (see, mutatis mutandis, Andreyevskiy v.\u00a0Russia, no.\u00a01750\/03, \u00a7\u00a062, 29\u00a0January 2009, with further references). Accordingly, the Court is unable to find that the applicant made an arguable claim in respect of the alleged ill-treatment of 10\u00a0January 2007.<\/p>\n 56. It follows that this part of the complaint is manifestly ill-founded and must be rejected in accordance with Article\u00a035\u00a0\u00a7\u00a7\u00a03\u00a0(a) and 4 of the Convention.<\/p>\n (c) As regards the events of 18\u00a0January 2007<\/p>\n 57. The Court further notes that the applicant\u2019s ill-treatment complaint in respect of the events of 18\u00a0January 2007 is not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article\u00a035\u00a0\u00a7\u00a03\u00a0(a) of the Convention. It further notes that it is not inadmissible on any other grounds. It must therefore be declared admissible.<\/p>\n 2. Merits<\/em><\/p>\n 58. The Court reiterates that where an individual displayed traces of blows after having been under the control of the police and complained that those traces were the result of ill-treatment, there was a \u2013 rebuttable \u2013 presumption that this was indeed the case (see Bouyid v.\u00a0Belgium [GC], no.\u00a023380\/09, \u00a7\u00a091, ECHR 2015).<\/p>\n (a) Credibility of the applicant\u2019s allegations of ill-treatment at the hands of the police officers and the presumption of fact<\/p>\n 59. The Court observes that the applicant was placed in the IVS early in the morning on 18\u00a0January 2007 and that no injuries had been detected on him at that time (see paragraph\u00a016 above). Then he was brought to the FSKN premises and at some point between noon and 3\u00a0p.m. was allegedly beaten by G.. On his return to the IVS immediately after the events he was depressed and told the IVS officers that he had been beaten at the FSKN (see paragraph\u00a024 above). Once the IVS stuff called the doctor, on 19\u00a0January 2007 \u2013 that is, one day after the alleged ill-treatment \u2013 the emergency doctor detected injuries on the applicant\u2019s face (see paragraphs\u00a026 and 27 above). The witnesses\u2019 statements suggest that the applicant was seen being pushed and slapped in the face by G. and was heard screaming at the FSKN premises (see paragraphs 31 and 35 above). The Court considers that his injuries could arguably have resulted from the violence allegedly suffered by him at the hands of the FSKN officers. The applicant\u2019s description of the alleged ill\u2011treatment was detailed and remained consistent throughout the proceedings in 2007-17.<\/p>\n 60. The above factors are sufficient to give rise to a presumption in favour of his account of events and to satisfy the Court that his allegations of police violence were credible. Accordingly, the authorities had an obligation to carry out an effective official investigation into his allegation.<\/p>\n (b) Whether an effective investigation was carried out into the applicants\u2019 allegations of police ill-treatment<\/p>\n 61. Whilst the Court accepts that the authorities promptly reacted to the applicant\u2019s complaint, it observes that the applicant\u2019s consistent allegations of ill\u2011treatment at the premises of the Drug Control Service were summarily rejected as a result of the pre\u2011investigation inquiry, which is the initial stage in dealing with a criminal complaint under Russian law and should normally be followed by the opening of a criminal case and the carrying out of an investigation if the information gathered has disclosed elements of a criminal offence (see\u00a0Lyapin, cited above, \u00a7\u00a0129).<\/p>\n 62. The Court reiterates its finding that the mere carrying out of a pre\u2011investigation inquiry under Article\u00a0144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation is insufficient if the authorities are to comply with the standards established under Article 3 of the Convention for an effective investigation into credible allegations of ill\u2011treatment in police custody. It is incumbent on the authorities to institute criminal proceedings and conduct a proper criminal investigation in which a full range of investigative measures are carried out and which constitutes an effective remedy for victims of police ill-treatment under domestic law (see, among many others, Lyapin, cited above, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a0129 and 132-36; Devyatkin v. Russia, no. 40384\/06, \u00a7\u00a034, 24 October 2017; and Olisov and Others v.\u00a0Russia, nos.\u00a010825\/09 and 2 others, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a080-82, 2\u00a0May 2017).<\/p>\n 63. The Court has no reason to hold otherwise in the present case, which involves credible allegations of ill-treatment of which the authorities were promptly made aware. Since 2007 more than twenty refusals to open a criminal investigation were issued, each time as a result of the pre\u2011investigative inquiries. Each time the refusals were set aside as lacking reasoning, unlawful, and based on inquiries that had not been thorough. However, criminal proceedings were never instituted. As a result of the refusal to conduct a fully-fledged criminal investigation, such important investigative activities as, inter alia, confrontations, identification parades and witnesses\u2019 examinations were never carried out. No forensic medical examination in respect of the injuries detected on the applicant on 19\u00a0January 2007 has ever been conducted. Indeed, the expert examination held on 2\u00a0February 2007, aimed primarily at detecting the drug injections\u2019 traces, was held two weeks after the alleged beatings, when the traces of bruises had disappeared, whilst no forensic expert assessment of the injuries recorded on 19\u00a0January 2007 has never been performed. No attempt was made to explain the apparent discrepancies in the parties\u2019 accounts of events, and statements of I. and Gan. had either been rejected in summary manner (during the pre\u2011investigative inquiries, see, for instance, paragraph 35) or simply disregarded (by the trial court, see paragraph\u00a047 above). The investigative authorities\u2019decisions were unreservedly based on the \u201cexplanations\u201d collected from police officers who had either allegedly ill\u2011treated the applicant, or witnessed the ill-treatment.<\/p>\n 64. The Court finds that the State has failed to carry out an effective investigation into the applicant\u2019s allegations of police violence.<\/p>\n (c) Whether the Government provided explanations capable of casting doubt on the applicant\u2019s account of events<\/p>\n 65. Theauthorities\u2019only explanation,that the applicant could have inflicted injuries on himself on 18\u00a0January 2007, was not based on any specific facts. Given that the explanation denying the applicant\u2019s credible allegations of the police violence was advanced as a result of the superficial domestic inquiries falling short of the requirements of Article\u00a03, the Court finds that they cannot be considered satisfactory or convincing. Otherwise, no explanation of the applicant\u2019s injuries was provided by the Government. The Court holds that the Government have failed to discharge the burden of proof and produce evidence capable of casting doubt on the applicant\u2019s account of events, which it therefore finds established (see Olisov and Others, cited above, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a083-85, and Ksenz and Others v.\u00a0Russia, nos.\u00a045044\/06 and 5 others, \u00a7\u00a7 102\u201104, 12 December 2017).<\/p>\n (d) Legal classification of the treatment<\/p>\n 66. Taking into account the nature of the injuries, the Court finds that the police subjected the applicant to inhuman and degrading treatment (see Gorshchuk v. Russia, no.\u00a031316\/09, \u00a7\u00a033, 6\u00a0October 2015; Aleksandr Andreyevv.\u00a0Russia, no.\u00a02281\/06, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a056\u201162, 23\u00a0February 2016; and Leonid Petrov v.\u00a0Russia, no.\u00a052783\/08, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a065-76, 11\u00a0October 2016).<\/p>\n (e) Conclusion<\/p>\n 67. The foregoing considerations are sufficient to enable the Court to conclude that there has been a violation of Article\u00a03 of the Convention under its substantive and procedural limbs.<\/p>\n II. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE\u00a013 OF THE CONVENTION<\/p>\n 68. The applicant complained under Article\u00a013 of the Convention in conjunction with Article\u00a03 that the authorities had failed to carry out an effective investigation into his complaint of ill-treatment. Article\u00a013 reads as follows:<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone whose rights and freedoms as set forth in [the] Convention are violated shall have an effective remedy before a national authority notwithstanding that the violation has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n 69. The Government contested that claim, arguing that the applicant was able to challenge the refusal to open the criminal proceedings at courts and effectively made use of that opportunity.<\/p>\n 70. The Court notes that this complaint is linked to the issue raised under the procedural aspect of Article\u00a03 of the Convention and must therefore be declared admissible.<\/p>\n 71. Having regard to the finding of a violation of Article 3 under its procedural head on account of the respondent State\u2019s failure to carry out an effective investigation (see paragraphs\u00a062-64 and 67 above), the Court considers that it is not necessary to examine this complaint separately under Article\u00a013 (see Olisov and Others, cited above, \u00a7\u00a092).<\/p>\n III. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF THE CONVENTION<\/p>\n 72. By the letter of 9\u00a0September 2007 the applicant submitted, without any further details, that Articles\u00a03, 5\u00a0\u00a7\u00a02, 6\u00a0\u00a7\u00a7 1, 3\u00a0(a) and 3\u00a0(b) were violated in his case. In the application form of 22\u00a0April 2008 he complained under Article\u00a06 that his conviction was unlawful, that he had been convicted in the absence of a final decision in the proceedings concerning his duress allegations, that the conviction was based on the evidence unlawfully transferred from a criminal case concerning another person and that one witness\u2019s testimony was inaccurately recorded by the trial court.<\/p>\n 73. The Court notesthat the applicant\u2019s first letter of 9\u00a0September 2007 only contained a reference to the dates of the domestic judgments in his criminal case and an allegation of being a victim of unspecified violations of Article\u00a06. The letter did not contain any indication of the relevant facts and the nature of any alleged violation, apart from the very fact of the conviction. Conversely, the application form submitted by the applicant to the Court on 22\u00a0April 2008 described the nature of the alleged violations and the relevant facts in detail. In the light of the Court\u2019s case-law (see, for instance, Zverev v.\u00a0Russia (dec.), no.\u00a016234\/05, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a010-17 and 20, 3\u00a0July 2012, with further references) the Court considers that this part of the application was introduced outside the six-month time-limit set out in Article\u00a035\u00a0\u00a7\u00a01 of the Convention and must be rejected in accordance with Article\u00a035\u00a0\u00a7\u00a7\u00a01 and 4 of the Convention.<\/p>\n 74. The applicant further complained on 22\u00a0April 2008 under Article\u00a05 about unlawfulness of his arrest and the lack of reasons for his pre-trial detention. This part of the application was introduced outside the six-month time-limit and must be rejected in accordance with Article\u00a035\u00a0\u00a7\u00a7\u00a01 and 4 of the Convention.<\/p>\n 75. Finally, the applicant complained under Article\u00a01 of Protocol No.\u00a01that his personal property \u2013 that is,the mobile phone, RUB\u00a02,100and USD\u00a0100\u2013had been stolen from him on 10\u00a0January 2007.<\/p>\n 76. As regards the amount in Russian roubles, the Court notes that the applicant raised the deprivation of property issue mostly in the context of the alleged forgery of the evidence in his criminal case, arguing that some banknotes had been stolen from him and replaced by those marked with the special substance. His argument to that effect is rather confined to the allegedly incorrect establishment of the facts by the trial court. The Court has no grounds to depart from the trial court\u2019s assessment (see paragraph\u00a048) and accepts that RUB\u00a02,100 had not belonged to the applicant as these were banknotes marked with the special substance given to him during the test purchase operation. As regards the mobile phone and an amount in US dollars, the Court observes that since 2007 no evidence of alleged theft has been established. Notwithstanding the Court\u2019s considerations concerning the quality of the inquiry (see, in so far as relevant, paragraph\u00a063 above), the Court cannot but notice various unexplained inconsistencies of the applicant\u2019s own account of the events,such as the applicant\u2019s failure to mention those items in his explanations or the search record of 10\u00a0January 2007 (see paragraphs\u00a09 and 10 above);or to provide an explanation as regards the phone call of 17\u00a0January 2007 (see paragraph\u00a015 above). Accordingly, the Court does not havesufficient grounds to consider it established that any of theabove belongings were taken from the applicant by State agents, and that there has therefore been an interference with the applicant\u2019s rights under Article\u00a01 of Protocol No.\u00a01 on that account.<\/p>\n 77. It follows that this part of the application must be rejected as being manifestly ill-founded, pursuant to Article\u00a035\u00a0\u00a7\u00a7\u00a03 and 4 of the Convention.<\/p>\n IV. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE\u00a041 OF THE CONVENTION<\/p>\n 78. Article 41 of the Convention provides:<\/p>\n \u201cIf the Court finds that there has been a violation of the Convention or the Protocols thereto, and if the internal law of the High Contracting Party concerned allows only partial reparation to be made, the Court shall, if necessary, afford just satisfaction to the injured party.\u201d<\/p>\n A. Damage<\/strong><\/p>\n 79. The applicant claimed 2,100 Russian roublesand100 US dollars in respect of the amount allegedly seized from him, and 80\u00a0euros (EUR) representing the value of a mobile phone seized, in respect of pecuniary damage. He further claimed EUR\u00a025,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage.<\/p>\n 80. The Government submitted that the claims for pecuniary damage, all related to the applicant\u2019s allegations of the unlawful seizure of his belongings, were unfounded as there had been no violation of his Convention rights. They further contested the amount claimed in respect of non-pecuniary damage as excessive.<\/p>\n 81. As regards the claim for pecuniary damage, the Court does not discern any causal link between the violation found and the pecuniary damage alleged; it therefore rejects this claim.<\/p>\n 82. On the other hand, it awards the applicant EUR\u00a025,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage.<\/p>\n B. Costs and expenses<\/strong><\/p>\n 83. The applicant, who had been granted legal aid, claimed EUR\u00a0300 for the costs and expenses incurred in the domestic proceedings and specified that, due to a specific nature of the expenses, he was unable to submit any evidence to support the claim. He further claimed EUR\u00a04,150 for legal costs incurred before the Court, to be paid to Mr E. Markov, a lawyer who had represented him until 17\u00a0February 2017. That amount comprised EUR\u00a0150 of the representative\u2019s administrative and postal expenses at the post\u2011communication stage and EUR\u00a04,000 the representative\u2019s fees corresponding to forty hours\u2019 work on the case. In support of that claim he submitted a contract with his representative stipulating, inter alia, that the applicant had no money to pay the lawyer with. In accordance with its terms, if the Court should grant legal aid or award legal costs and expenses, it would be the Government, not the applicant, who would have to pay for the lawyers\u2019 services.<\/p>\n 84. The Government, referring to Romenskiy v.\u00a0Russia (no.\u00a022875\/02, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a034-36, 13 June 2013), noted that the involvement of the representative in the case did not incur any costs for the applicant and invited the Court to reject the claim for costs and expenses.<\/p>\n 85. According to the Court\u2019s case-law, an applicant is entitled to the reimbursement of costs and expenses only in so far as it has been shown that these have been actually and necessarily incurred and are reasonable as to quantum.In the present case, regard being had to the documents in its possession and the above criteria, the Courtrejects the claim for costs and expenses in the domestic proceedings as not substantiated with evidence.<\/p>\n 86. As regards the legal representation fee in the amount of EUR\u00a04,150, The Court takes into account that the applicant was granted legal aid in the amount of EUR\u00a0850 from the Court, that the involvement of the representative in the case did not incur any costs for the applicant, and that he has no legal obligation to pay for his legal representation before the Court. Accordingly, the Court dismisses the claim for costs and expenses (see Nizov v.\u00a0Russia, no.\u00a066823\/12, \u00a7\u00a056, 2\u00a0May 2017).<\/p>\n C. Default interest<\/strong><\/p>\n 87. The Court considers it appropriate that the default interest rate should be based on the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank, to which should be added three percentage points.<\/p>\n FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Declaresthe complaint under Article\u00a03 of the Convention concerning the applicant\u2019s alleged ill-treatment on 18\u00a0January 2007 and the complaint under Article\u00a013 of the Convention about the lack of the effective remedyin respect of the alleged ill-treatmentadmissible and the remainder of the application inadmissible;<\/p>\n 2. Holdsthat there has been a violation of Article\u00a03 of the Convention under its substantive limb in that the applicant has been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment;<\/p>\n 3. Holds that there has been a violation of Article\u00a03 of the Convention under its procedural limb on account of the lack of an effective investigation into the applicant\u2019s allegations;<\/p>\n 4. Holdsthat there is no need to examine separately the complaint under Article\u00a013 of the Convention;<\/p>\n 5. Holds<\/p>\n (a) that the respondent State is to pay the applicant, within three months, EUR\u00a025,000 (twenty-five thousand euros), plus any tax that may be chargeable, in respect of non-pecuniary damage, to be converted into the currency of the respondent Stateat the rate applicable at the date of settlement;<\/p>\n (b) that from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement simple interest shall be payable on the above amounts at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points;<\/p>\n 6. Dismissesthe remainder of the applicant\u2019s claim for just satisfaction.<\/p>\n Done in English, and notified in writing on 3 March 2020, pursuant to Rule\u00a077\u00a0\u00a7\u00a7\u00a02 and 3 of the Rules of Court.<\/p>\n Stephen Phillips \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Alena Pol\u00e1\u010dkov\u00e1 _______________<\/p>\n [1]. A humiliating reference to the lowest rank of the Russian prison hierarchy.<\/p>\n
\nAlena Pol\u00e1\u010dkov\u00e1, President,
\nDmitry Dedov,
\nGilberto Felici, judges,
\nand Stephen Phillips, Section Registrar,<\/p>\n
\nRegistrar \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0President<\/p>\n