{"id":19383,"date":"2022-09-15T14:38:15","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T14:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/?p=19383"},"modified":"2022-09-15T14:38:15","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T14:38:15","slug":"case-of-abos-and-others-v-romania-european-court-of-human-rights-36002-19-and-6-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/?p=19383","title":{"rendered":"CASE OF ABOS AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA (European Court of Human Rights) 36002\/19 and 6 others"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The applicants complained of the inadequate conditions of their detention.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">FOURTH SECTION<br \/>\n<strong>CASE OF ABOS AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(Applications nos. 36002\/19 and 6 others \u2013 see appended list)<\/em><br \/>\nJUDGMENT<br \/>\nSTRASBOURG<br \/>\n15 September 2022<\/p>\n<p>This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In the case of Abos and Others v. Romania,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:<\/p>\n<p>Armen Harutyunyan, President,<br \/>\nJolien Schukking,<br \/>\nAna Maria Guerra Martins, judges,<br \/>\nand Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,<\/p>\n<p>Having deliberated in private on 25 August 2022,<\/p>\n<p>Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:<\/p>\n<p><strong>PROCEDURE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1. The case originated in applications against Romania lodged with the Court under Article\u00a034 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (\u201cthe Convention\u201d) on the various dates indicated in the appended table.<\/p>\n<p>2. The Romanian Government (\u201cthe\u00a0Government\u201d) were given notice of the applications.<\/p>\n<p><strong>THE FACTS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>3. The list of applicants and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table.<\/p>\n<p>4. The applicants complained of the inadequate conditions of their detention.<\/p>\n<p><strong>THE LAW<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I. JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>5. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the\u00a0Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>II. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE\u00a03 OF THE CONVENTION<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>6. The applicants complained principally of the inadequate conditions of their detention. They relied on Article 3 of the Convention, which reads as follows:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Article 3<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>7. In some of the applications, the Government raised a preliminary objection concerning loss of victim status by the applicants for the periods of detention specified in the appended table because they were afforded adequate redress based on Law no. 169\/2017 amending and completing Law no. 254\/2013 on the execution of sentences for those specific periods of detention.<\/p>\n<p>8. The Court notes that the domestic remedy introduced in respect of inadequate conditions of detention in Romania and applicable until December 2019 was held to be an effective one in the case of D\u00eerjan and \u015etefan v.\u00a0Romania ((dec.), nos. 14224\/15 and 50977\/15, \u00a7\u00a7 23-33, 15 April 2020). This remedy was available to the applicants in the present applications, and they were, indeed, afforded adequate redress for certain periods of detention (for details see the appended table).<\/p>\n<p>9. Therefore, the Court accepts the Government\u2019s objection and finds that these parts of the applications concerned are incompatible ratione personae with the provisions of the Convention and must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 \u00a7\u00a7 3 (a) and 4 of the Convention.<\/p>\n<p>10. Turning to the remaining periods of the applicants\u2019 detention as specified in the appended table, the Court notes that the applicants were kept in detention in poor conditions. The details of the applicants\u2019 detention are indicated in the appended table. The Court refers to the principles established in its case\u2011law regarding inadequate conditions of detention (see, for instance, Mur\u0161i\u0107 v.\u00a0Croatia [GC], no.\u00a07334\/13, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a096\u2011101, ECHR 2016). It reiterates in particular that a serious lack of space in a prison cell weighs heavily as a factor to be taken into account for the purpose of establishing whether the\u00a0detention conditions described are \u201cdegrading\u201d from the point of view of Article\u00a03 and may disclose a violation, both alone or taken together with other shortcomings (see Mur\u0161i\u0107, cited above, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a0122\u201141, and Ananyev and Others v. Russia, nos.\u00a042525\/07 and 60800\/08, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a0149\u201159, 10\u00a0January 2012).<\/p>\n<p>11. In the leading case of Rezmive\u0219 and Others v. Romania (nos. 61467\/12 and 3 others, 25 April 2017), the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.<\/p>\n<p>12. Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of persuading it to reach a different conclusion on the admissibility and merits of these complaints. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, (including its findings in the recent case of Polgar v. Romania, no. 39412\/19, \u00a7\u00a7 94-97, 20 July 2021), the Court considers that in the instant case the applicants\u2019 conditions of detention, as described in the appended table, were inadequate.<\/p>\n<p>13. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention.<\/p>\n<p><strong>III. REMAINING COMPLAINTS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>14. In applications nos.\u00a041803\/19 and 62943\/19, the applicants also raised other complaints under Article 3 of the Convention.<\/p>\n<p>15. The Court has examined these complaints and considers that, in the\u00a0light of all the material in its possession and in so far as the matters complained of are within its competence, these complaints either do not meet the admissibility criteria set out in Articles\u00a034 and\u00a035 of the Convention or do not disclose any appearance of a violation of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Convention or the Protocols thereto.<\/p>\n<p>It follows that this part of the applications must be rejected in accordance with Article\u00a035\u00a0\u00a7\u00a04 of the Convention.<\/p>\n<p><strong>IV. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE\u00a041 OF THE CONVENTION<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>16. Article\u00a041 of the Convention provides:<\/p>\n<p>\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<p>17. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case\u2011law (see, in particular, Rezmive\u0219 and Others, cited above), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.<\/p>\n<p>18. The Court further 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<p><strong>FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1. Decides to join the applications;<\/p>\n<p>2. Declares the complaints concerning the inadequate conditions of detention, for the periods specified in the appended table, admissible, and the remainder of the applications inadmissible;<\/p>\n<p>3. Holds that these complaints disclose a breach of Article\u00a03 of the\u00a0Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention for the\u00a0periods specified in the appended table below;<\/p>\n<p>4. Holds<\/p>\n<p>(a) that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amounts indicated in the appended table, to be converted into the\u00a0currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable at the date of settlement;<\/p>\n<p>(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<p>Done in English, and notified in writing on 15 September 2022, pursuant to Rule\u00a077\u00a0\u00a7\u00a7\u00a02 and\u00a03 of the Rules of Court.<\/p>\n<p>Viktoriya Maradudina\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Armen Harutyunyan<br \/>\nActing Deputy Registrar\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 President<\/p>\n<p>___________<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>APPENDIX<\/strong><br \/>\nList of applications raising complaints under Article 3 of the Convention<br \/>\n(inadequate conditions of detention)<\/p>\n<table width=\"100%\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"4%\"><strong>No.<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"10%\"><strong>Application no.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Date of introduction<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\"><strong>Applicant\u2019s name<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Year of birth<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\"><strong>Facility<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Start and end date<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Duration<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"8%\"><strong>Sq. m per inmate<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"16%\"><strong>Specific grievance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"17%\"><strong>Domestic compensation awarded<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>(in days)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>based on total period calculated by national authorities<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\"><strong>Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>(in euros)<a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"4%\">1.<\/td>\n<td width=\"10%\">36002\/19<\/p>\n<p>21\/08\/2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\"><strong>Levente ABOS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1976<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\">Codlea Prison<\/p>\n<p>23\/12\/2019 to<\/p>\n<p>12\/02\/2020<\/p>\n<p>1 month(s) and 21 day(s)<\/td>\n<td width=\"8%\">2.25 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<td width=\"16%\">overcrowding, infestation of cell with insects\/rodents, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of food, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities<\/td>\n<td width=\"17%\">246 days in compensation for a total period of 1,255 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 14\/06\/2016 to 22\/12\/2019 in Miercurea Ciuc, T\u00e2rgu Mure\u015f and Codlea Prisons<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\">1,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"4%\">2.<\/td>\n<td width=\"10%\">37826\/19<\/p>\n<p>09\/08\/2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\"><strong>Constantin-Vitalian ANI\u0162OAIE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1986<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\">Boto\u0219ani and Ia\u0219i Prisons<\/p>\n<p>23\/12\/2019 to<\/p>\n<p>10\/08\/2020<\/p>\n<p>7 month(s) and 19 day(s)<\/td>\n<td width=\"8%\">2.41-2.85 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<td width=\"16%\">overcrowding (save for the period 13\/04\/2020-28\/04\/2020), infestation of cell with insects\/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to warm water<\/td>\n<td width=\"17%\">54 days in compensation for a total period of 291 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 07\/03\/2019 to 22\/12\/2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\">1,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"4%\">3.<\/td>\n<td width=\"10%\">41803\/19<\/p>\n<p>29\/07\/2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\"><strong>Imre BUTYKA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1963<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\">Aiud Prison<\/p>\n<p>23\/12\/2019 to<\/p>\n<p>12\/02\/2020<\/p>\n<p>1 month(s) and 21 day(s)<\/td>\n<td width=\"8%\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"16%\">infestation of cell with insects\/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to warm water<\/td>\n<td width=\"17%\">486 days in compensation for a total period of 2,436 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 24\/07\/2012 to 22\/12\/2019, including all detention facilities of which the applicant complained<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\">1,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"4%\">4.<\/td>\n<td width=\"10%\">42385\/19<\/p>\n<p>14\/10\/2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\"><strong>Ionu\u021b MUNTEANU<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1992<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\">Giurgiu Prison<\/p>\n<p>23\/12\/2019<\/p>\n<p>pending<\/p>\n<p>More than 2 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 6 day(s)<\/td>\n<td width=\"8%\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"16%\">infestation of cell with insects\/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of food<\/td>\n<td width=\"17%\">258 days in compensation for a total period of 1,291 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 24\/07\/2012 to 22\/12\/2019, including the entire period spent in Giurgiu Prison<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\">3,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"4%\">5.<\/td>\n<td width=\"10%\">42597\/19<\/p>\n<p>16\/09\/2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\"><strong>Neculai COVACIU<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1973<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\">Jilava Prison<\/p>\n<p>23\/12\/2019<\/p>\n<p>pending<\/p>\n<p>More than 2 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 6 day(s)<\/td>\n<td width=\"8%\">1.93-2.46 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<td width=\"16%\">overcrowding, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities<\/td>\n<td width=\"17%\">528 days in compensation for a total period of 2,641 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 24\/07\/2012 to 22\/12\/2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\">3,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"4%\">6.<\/td>\n<td width=\"10%\">47120\/19<\/p>\n<p>28\/08\/2019<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\"><strong>Nicolae TER\u015eANSCHI<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1980<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\">Bistrita County Police; Gherla Prison<\/p>\n<p>03\/01\/2012 to<\/p>\n<p>23\/07\/2012<\/p>\n<p>6 month(s) and 21 day(s)<\/p>\n<p>Arad Prison<\/p>\n<p>30\/03\/2017 to<\/p>\n<p>28\/08\/2021<\/p>\n<p>4 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 29 day(s)<\/td>\n<td width=\"8%\">1.31-2.26 m\u00b2<\/td>\n<td width=\"16%\">overcrowding (except for the periods 03\/01\/2012-04\/05\/2012 and 30\/03\/2017-27\/08\/2021), infestation of cell with insects\/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, poor quality of food<\/td>\n<td width=\"17%\">336 days in compensation for a total period of 1,708 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 24\/07\/2012 to 29\/03\/2017 in Gherla, T\u00e2rgu-Mure\u015f and Aiud Prisons<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\">3,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"4%\">7.<\/td>\n<td width=\"10%\">62943\/19<\/p>\n<p>07\/01\/2020<\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\"><strong>Sorin-Marius RAICA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1985<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\">Arad Prison<\/p>\n<p>29\/03\/2019 to<\/p>\n<p>19\/08\/2019<\/p>\n<p>4 month(s) and 22 day(s)<\/p>\n<p>Arad Prison<\/p>\n<p>02\/09\/2019 to<\/p>\n<p>23\/09\/2020<\/p>\n<p>1 year(s) and 22 day(s)<\/td>\n<td width=\"8%\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"16%\">lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects\/rodents<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"17%\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"12%\">3,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a> Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.<\/p>\n<div class=\"social-share-buttons\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/laweuro.com\/?p=19383\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https:\/\/laweuro.com\/?p=19383&text=CASE+OF+ABOS+AND+OTHERS+v.+ROMANIA+%28European+Court+of+Human+Rights%29+36002%2F19+and+6+others\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https:\/\/laweuro.com\/?p=19383&title=CASE+OF+ABOS+AND+OTHERS+v.+ROMANIA+%28European+Court+of+Human+Rights%29+36002%2F19+and+6+others\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a><a 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FOURTH SECTION CASE OF ABOS AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA (Applications nos. 36002\/19 and 6 others \u2013 see appended list) JUDGMENT STRASBOURG 15 September 2022 This judgment is final but it&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-p\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/?p=19383\">Read more &rarr;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-available-in-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19383"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19384,"href":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19383\/revisions\/19384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laweuro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}