The applicantscomplained that they had been unfairly convicted of drug offences following entrapment by State agents.<\/p>\n
THIRD SECTION This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.<\/p>\n In the case of Karalovand Others v. Russia,<\/strong><\/p>\n The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Committee composed of: Having deliberated in private on 6 October 2022,<\/p>\n Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:<\/p>\n PROCEDURE<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. The case originated in applications against Russia 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 2. The Russian Government (\u201cthe\u00a0Government\u201d) were given notice of the applications.<\/p>\n THE FACTS<\/strong><\/p>\n 3. The list of applicants and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table.<\/p>\n 4. The applicantscomplained that they had been unfairly convicted of drug offences following entrapment by State agents.<\/p>\n THE LAW<\/strong><\/p>\n I. JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n 5. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.<\/p>\n II. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE\u00a06 \u00a7 1 OF THE CONVENTION<\/strong><\/p>\n 6. The applicants complained that they had been unfairly convicted of drug offences which they had been incited by State agents to commit and that their plea of entrapment had not been properly examined in the domestic proceedings. They relied on Article 6 \u00a7 1 of the Convention, which reads as follows:<\/p>\n Article\u00a06\u00a0\u00a7\u00a01<\/p>\n \u201cIn the determination of … any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled to a fair … hearing … by [a] … tribunal …\u201d<\/p>\n 7. The Court reiterates that absence in the national legal system of a clear and foreseeable procedure for authorising test purchases of drugs remains a structural problem which exposes applicants to an arbitrary action by the State agents and prevents the domestic courts from conducting an effective judicial review of their entrapment pleas (see\u00a0Veselov and\u00a0Others v.\u00a0Russia, nos.\u00a023200\/10 and\u00a02\u00a0others, \u00a7\u00a0126, 2\u00a0October 2012).<\/p>\n 8. The Court has consistently found a violation of Article 6 \u00a7 1 of the Convention on account of the deficient existing procedure for authorisation and administration of test purchases of drugs in the respondent State, an issue similar to that in the present case (see\u00a0Veselov and\u00a0Others, cited above, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a0126\u201128; Lagutin and\u00a0Others v.\u00a0Russia, nos.\u00a06228\/09 and\u00a04\u00a0others, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a0124\u201125, 24\u00a0April 2014; Lebedev and\u00a0Others v.\u00a0Russia, nos.\u00a02500\/07 and\u00a04\u00a0others, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a012\u201116, 30\u00a0April 2015; and Yeremtsov and\u00a0Others v.\u00a0Russia, nos.\u00a020696\/06 and\u00a04\u00a0others, \u00a7\u00a7\u00a017\u201121, 27\u00a0November 2014).<\/p>\n 9. 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 as to the admissibility and merits of these complaints. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the criminal proceedings against the applicants were incompatible with a notion of a fair trial.<\/p>\n 10. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 6 \u00a7 1 of the Convention.<\/p>\n III. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE\u00a041 OF THE CONVENTION<\/strong><\/p>\n 11. Article\u00a041 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 12. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case\u2011law (see, in particular, Kumitskiy and Others v. Russia, nos. 66215\/12 and 4 others, \u00a7 17, 10 July 2018), the Court considers that the finding of a violation constitutes a sufficient just satisfaction in the present case.<\/p>\n FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Decides to join the applications;<\/p>\n 2. Declares the applications admissible;<\/p>\n 3. Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article\u00a06 \u00a7 1 of the Convention concerning entrapment by State agents;<\/p>\n 4. Holdsthat the finding of a violation constitutes in itself sufficient just satisfaction.<\/p>\n Done in English, and notified in writing on 27 October 2022, pursuant to Rule\u00a077\u00a0\u00a7\u00a7\u00a02 and\u00a03 of the Rules of Court.<\/p>\n Viktoriya Maradudina \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Darian Pavli ___________<\/p>\n APPENDIX<\/strong> Date of introduction<\/strong><\/td>\n Year of birth<\/strong><\/td>\n Type of drugs<\/strong><\/td>\n 17\/05\/2020<\/td>\n 1961<\/td>\n Khabarovsk<\/td>\n heroin<\/td>\n 14\/08\/2020<\/td>\n 1980<\/td>\n St Petersburg<\/td>\n amphetamine<\/td>\n 21\/05\/2020<\/td>\n 1974<\/td>\n Moscow<\/td>\n cocaine<\/td>\n 09\/11\/2020<\/td>\n 1982<\/td>\n Vyborg<\/td>\n hashish<\/td>\n 23\/12\/2020<\/td>\n 1991<\/td>\n Stavropol<\/td>\n hashish<\/td>\n
\nCASE OF KARALOV AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA<\/strong>
\n(Applications nos. 26314\/20 and 4 others \u2013 see appended list)<\/em>
\nJUDGMENT
\nSTRASBOURG
\n27 October 2022<\/p>\n
\nDarian Pavli, President,
\nAndreas Z\u00fcnd,
\nFr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Krenc, judges,
\nand Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,<\/p>\n
\nActing Deputy Registrar \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 President<\/p>\n
\nList of applications raising complaints under Article 6 \u00a7 1 of the Convention
\n(entrapment by State agents)<\/p>\n\n\n
\n No.<\/strong><\/td>\n Application no.<\/strong><\/p>\n Applicant\u2019s name<\/strong><\/p>\n Representative\u2019s name and location<\/strong><\/td>\n Test purchase date<\/strong><\/p>\n Specific grievances<\/strong><\/td>\n Final domestic judgment (appeal court, date)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n \n 1.<\/td>\n 26314\/20<\/p>\n Aleksandr Vasilyevich KARALOV<\/strong><\/p>\n Viktor Mikhaylovich Nemerovets<\/p>\n 16\/02\/2017<\/p>\n lack of incriminating information, pressure to sell<\/td>\n Khabarovsk Regional Court, 04\/02\/2020<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 2.<\/td>\n 41984\/20<\/p>\n Ilya Andreyevich CHEKHLOV<\/strong><\/p>\n Tatyana Sergeyevna Mironova<\/p>\n 03\/12\/2019<\/p>\n fellow drug user, anonymous\/unverified tip, lack of incriminating information, repeated calls<\/td>\n St Petersburg City Court, 26\/02\/2020<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 3.<\/td>\n 43483\/20<\/p>\n Dmitriy Yuryevich RUDNEV<\/strong><\/p>\n Vladlen Aleksandrovich Tsiskarishvili<\/p>\n 09\/02\/2019<\/p>\n lack of incriminating information, pressure to sell, fellow drug user, repeated calls<\/td>\n Moscow City Court, 04\/12\/2019<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 4.<\/td>\n 53785\/20<\/p>\n Maksim Sergeyevich SAMODELOV<\/strong><\/p>\n Irina Aleksandrovna Suslova<\/p>\n 06\/12\/2018<\/p>\n fellow drug user, pressure to sell, repeated calls, anonymous\/unverified tip<\/td>\n St Petersburg City Court, 08\/06\/2020<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 5.<\/td>\n 4639\/21<\/p>\n Aleksandr Aleksandrovich SAMUROV<\/strong><\/p>\n Narine Pavlovna Ayrapetyan<\/p>\n 13\/06\/2018<\/p>\n undercover police officer, repeated calls, pressure to sell, absence of prior verifiable information about any criminal activity on the applicant\u2019s part, the plea of entrapment was not properly examined by the courts<\/td>\n Stavropol Regional Court, 23\/06\/2020<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n