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SPINOV v. UKRAINE - 34331/03 [2008] ECHR 1537 (27 November 2008)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/2008/1537.html
Cite as:
[2008] ECHR 1537
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FIFTH
SECTION
CASE OF SPINOV v. UKRAINE
(Application
no. 34331/03)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
27 November 2008
This
judgment will become final in the circumstances set out in
Article 44 § 2 of the Convention. It may be
subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Spinov v. Ukraine,
The
European Court of Human Rights (Fifth Section), sitting as a Chamber
composed of:
Rait Maruste, President,
Karel
Jungwiert,
Volodymyr Butkevych,
Renate
Jaeger,
Mark Villiger,
Isabelle
Berro-Lefèvre,
Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska,
judges,
and Stephen Phillips,
Deputy
Section Registrar,
Having
deliberated in private on 4 November 2008,
Delivers
the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
PROCEDURE
The
case originated in an application (no. 34331/03) against Ukraine
lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the
Convention”) by a Ukrainian national,
Mr Vitaliy Volodymyrovych Spinov (“the applicant”), on 6
September 2003.
The
applicant was represented by Ms L. Spinova, his mother. The Ukrainian
Government (“the Government”) were represented by their
Agent, Mr Y. Zaytsev.
The
applicant alleged, in particular, that he had been ill-treated by the
police and that there had been no effective investigation into his
complaints on that account.
On
24 May 2005 the Court decided to communicate to the respondent
Government the complaints under Article 3 of the Convention
concerning alleged ill-treatment of the applicant by the police and
effectiveness of the relevant investigation to the Government. It was
also decided to examine the merits of the application at the same
time as its admissibility (Article 29 § 3).
THE FACTS
I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE
The
applicant was born in 1983 and lives in Donetsk.
A. Events of 29-30 November 2001 and subsequent
conviction of the applicant
According
to the police report, at about 7.30 p.m. on 29 November 2001
the applicant, who was drunk, grabbed a bag out of Ms C.'s hands
and attempted to run away. Two uniformed police officers, Mr M.
and Mr K., who were patrolling the area, heard Ms C.'s cry for help
and saw the applicant running with the bag in his hands. They chased
the applicant, caught him in the street, restrained him and took him
to the nearby police station.
The
applicant alleged that when passing Ms C. in the street he had
slipped on the ground and grabbed her bag unintentionally. After that
he stood up and moved away. Shortly afterwards he had been knocked
down by a heavy blow to the head, lost consciousness and regained it
only at the police station.
According
to the applicant, some six police officers at the police station
handcuffed him to the window frame and demanded that he confess. When
he refused to do so he was beaten. The applicant states that he was
allowed to phone his sister only after he had signed a confession. He
also alleges that his sister and mother had to bribe a police officer
to ensure that he was not detained pending trial.
On
30 November 2001 the applicant was released from the police station.
On
10 February 2003 the Kalininsky District Court of Donetsk
convicted the applicant of an attempted robbery on 29 November
2001 and fined him 850 Ukrainian hryvnas (UAH). The applicant did not
appeal against that judgment.
B. Medical examinations of the applicant and official
investigation into the alleged ill-treatment
On
4 December 2001 a forensic medicine expert examined the
applicant, on whom he found bruises on the body, abrasion of the left
wrist joint and established that the applicant was suffering from
concussion. The expert further concluded that these injuries, taken
together, were minor.
According
to a certificate issued on 5 December 2001 by a doctor at the local
hospital, the applicant was suffering kidney pain as a post-traumatic
effect of blows to his back.
Between
10 December 2001 and 2 January 2002 the applicant underwent medical
treatment at the local hospital for the effects of concussion.
According to his medical records, he was suffering from headache,
general weakness and nausea. On admission to the hospital he alleged
that he had been beaten by unknown persons.
On
14 January 2002 the applicant complained to the Prosecutor's Office
of Kalininsky District of Donetsk (“the District Prosecutor's
Office”) about the ill-treatment allegedly suffered by him.
On
24 January 2002 the District Prosecutor's Office refused to institute
criminal proceedings against police officers for the lack of any
corpus delicti in their acts.
On
12 February 2002 the Donetsk City Prosecutor's Office quashed the
decision of 24 January 2002 as unfounded and remitted the materials
for further inquiry.
On
25 February 2002 the District Prosecutor's Office refused to open
criminal proceedings against the police officers, finding that there
was nothing to suggest that they had committed any crime.
On
18 March 2002 the Donetsk Region Prosecutor's Office overruled the
decision of 25 February 2002, stating that the inquiry had been
conducted unsatisfactorily and remitted the case for further
examination.
On
21 March 2002 the forensic medical expert issued an additional report
in which he repeated his previous conclusion that the applicant had
received bruises to the body, abrasion of the left wrist joint and
had suffered concussion, which amounted to minor bodily injuries, and
assumed that they could have probably been caused as alleged by the
applicant.
On
15 April 2002 the Donetsk City Prosecutor's Office refused to
institute criminal proceedings against police officers due to the
lack of any corpus delicti. This finding was based on the
discrepancies in the applicant's testimonies as to the number of
police officers involved and the exact place where the beating had
allegedly taken place. The fact that the applicant on admission to
the local hospital had not indicated the police officers as the
source of his injuries had also been mentioned.
On
13 June 2002 the Voroshylovsky District Court of Donetsk found that
the inquiry was flawed, quashed the decision of 15 April 2002
and ordered a further inquiry. The court indicated, inter alia,
that the investigative authorities had failed to establish or
question persons who had seen the applicant before and after his
detention in the police station and to scrutinise the circumstances
surrounding the infliction of bodily injuries on the applicant.
On
8 August 2002 the Donetsk City Prosecutor's Office decided not to
institute criminal proceedings against the police officers, stating,
inter alia, that the applicant's allegations were inconsistent
and unfounded.
On
10 October 2002 the Voroshylovsky District Court of Donetsk quashed
the decision of 8 August 2002 and ordered further inquiry. The court
specified, inter alia, that the authorities had failed to make
a proper assessment of the testimonies of Ms C., who had seen
the applicant on his arrival at the police station on
29 November 2001, bearing no noticeable signs of beating,
and to the usher of the police station and Mr L., who had talked
with the applicant next day when he was released.
On
13 December 2002 the Donetsk City Prosecutor's Office refused to open
criminal proceedings against the police officers, finding that the
applicant's allegations about ill-treatment at the police station had
been inconsistent and that the injuries complained of could have been
sustained at the scene of crime.
On
31 January 2003 the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office quashed the
decision of 13 December 2002 and remitted the case for further
inquiry into the circumstances in which the applicant received his
injuries.
On
22 February 2003 the Donetsk City Prosecutor's Office further
questioned Mr K. and Mr M., who explained in detail, as far as
they could remember, how they had arrested the applicant on 29
November 2001 and the injuries they might have inflicted on him. They
admitted that when catching the applicant they had knocked him to the
ground, inflicted several blows to restrain him and then handcuffed
him.
On
3 March 2003 the forensic medical expert issued a supplementary
report, in which he concluded on the basis of the additional material
that the bodily injuries referred to could have been inflicted on the
applicant by Mr K. and Mr M. on 29 November 2001 in the course
of his detention at the scene of crime. He stated, in particular,
that the bruises on the body as well as the concussion could have
been received by the applicant when he was knocked to the ground and
restrained by the officers; the abrasion of the wrist joint could
have been caused by his being handcuffed.
On
25 March 2003 the Donetsk City Prosecutor's Office refused to
institute criminal proceedings against the police officers, stating
in particular that the bodily injuries could have been caused to the
applicant by Mr K. and Mr M. when catching him at the scene of
crime but not at the police station.
On
30 June 2005 the prosecutor of the Donetsk Region Prosecutor's Office
quashed the decision of 25 March 2003, finding that the inquiry had
been flawed, and remitted the case for further examination. He
stated, inter alia, that the investigatory authorities had failed to
question all the witnesses who saw the applicant on 29-30 November
2001. He further ordered that the relevant room of the police station
be inspected with the participation of the applicant and a medical
expert be appointed, who would be able to carry out an additional
medical examination and clarify thereby the way the applicant
received his bodily injuries.
On
20 July 2005 the General Prosecutor's Office instituted criminal
proceedings against the police officers for exceeding their powers
combined with the ill-treatment of the applicant. It admitted that
the inquiry into the applicant's complaints about ill-treatment had
not been conducted thoroughly, and that the instructions given by the
courts and the higher prosecutors had not been followed.
By
a letter of 30 July 2007 the District Prosecutor's Office informed
the applicant that on 29 March 2007 the criminal proceedings against
the police officers had been closed for lack of corpus delicti in
their acts.
II. RELEVANT DOMESTIC LAW AND PRACTICE
The relevant provision of the
Constitution reads as follows:
Article 28
“Everyone has the right to respect for his or her
dignity.
No one shall be subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment that violates his or her dignity.
...”
33. The relevant
provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure read as
follows:
Article 4
The obligation to institute criminal
proceedings and investigate a crime
“The court, prosecutor or investigator must, to
the extent that it is within their power to do so, institute criminal
proceedings in every case where evidence of a crime has been
discovered, take all necessary measures provided by law to establish
whether a crime has been committed and the identity of the
perpetrators and punish them.”
Article 94
Grounds for instituting criminal
proceedings
“Criminal proceedings shall be instituted on the
following grounds:
(1) applications or communications from ...
individuals;
...
(5) direct detection of signs of a crime by a
body of inquiry or investigation, a prosecutor or a court.
A case may be instituted only when there is sufficient
evidence that a crime has been committed.”
THE LAW
I. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF THE CONVENTION
The
applicant complained under Article 3 of the Convention that he had
been subjected to ill-treatment by police officers and that there had
been no effective investigation into his complaints. In his
complaints concerning the lack of effective investigation the
applicant also relied on Article 13 of the Convention. The Court,
however, considers it appropriate to examine these matters solely
under Article 3 of the Convention, which reads as follows:
“No one shall be subjected to torture or to
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
A. Admissibility
The
Government contended that these complaints had been lodged outside
the six-month period which, in their opinion, had started to run on
24 January 2002, that is from the date of the first decision of
the prosecutor's office not to institute criminal proceedings under
the applicant's allegations.
The
applicant disagreed, claiming that he had challenged this refusal at
the national level upon which it had been quashed and a further
inquiry had been ordered. It was later, within the six-month period,
however, that he realised that the domestic inquiry into his
allegations had turned out to be ineffective.
The Court reiterates that the six-month period
normally runs from the final decision in the process of exhaustion of
domestic remedies (see D.P. and J.C. v. the United
Kingdom (dec.), no. 38719/97, 26 June 2001). However,
special considerations can apply in exceptional cases where
applicants first avail themselves of a domestic remedy and only at a
later stage become aware, or should have become aware, of
circumstances which make that remedy ineffective. In such a
situation, the six-month period might be calculated from the time
when the applicant becomes aware, or should have become aware, of
these circumstances (see Devrim Turan v. Turkey, no. 879/02,
§§ 32-33, 2 March 2006).
The
Court observes that in the present case the applicant firstly put his
complaint about ill-treatment to the national authorities, thereby
availing himself of a domestic remedy which is normally considered
effective. It is quite probable, however, that later he became
doubtful as to the effectiveness of the remedy relied on, given the
way the domestic authorities carried out the inquiries. Meanwhile,
the Court cannot agree with the Government that the six-month period
has to be calculated from 24 January 2002, when the domestic
authorities refused to institute criminal proceedings for the first
time. The Court has already held that such a refusal could be
effectively challenged at the national level (see Yakovenko v.
Ukraine, no. 15825/06, §§ 70-73,
25 October 2007). Indeed, the decision of 24 January
2002, as well as subsequent similar decisions, was quashed on appeals
by the applicant, and further inquiries were ordered. These
remittals, at least initially, could have made the applicant more
trustful of the domestic procedure.
The
Court further observes that the investigating authorities continued
to take decisions on the merits of the applicant's allegations
throughout the six-month period before the application was submitted
to the Court (see paragraph 27) as well as after that submission (see
paragraphs 28 and 29).
In
view of these circumstances the Court cannot definitely conclude that
the applicant had made up his mind about the ineffectiveness of the
remedy employed earlier, before the six-month period started to run.
In any event the applicant's attempts to make use of ordinary
domestic remedies should not be held against him in calculating the
six-month time-limit for lodging the application. It finds therefore
that the Government's preliminary objection must be dismissed.
The
Court notes that these complaints are not manifestly ill-founded
within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 of the Convention. It
further notes that they are not inadmissible on any other grounds.
They must therefore be declared admissible.
B. Merits
1. The submissions of the parties
The
Government admitted that the applicant had indeed sustained some
minor bodily injuries. They stressed, however, that he underwent a
medical examination four days later, after his release from the
police station. Accordingly, the injuries could have been inflicted
on him somewhere else. The Government still accepted that some of
these injuries could have been caused to the applicant in the course
of his arrest at the scene of crime, but emphasised that the use of
force was necessary because of his own conduct. No excessive force
had been used against him and no beating had taken place in the
police station. The Government finally maintained that the
investigation into the applicant's allegation about ill-treatment had
been carried out effectively. In particular, the victim and all
important witnesses were duly questioned and forensic medical
examinations were held. Therefore, there had been no violation of
Article 3 of the Convention in any regard.
The applicant contested the Government's submissions.
He pointed out that some physical force had been used against him
while he was being arrested. However, most of the injuries revealed
had been sustained by him in the police station when the officers
were beating him to make him confess to the crime. The applicant
further claimed that the investigation into the ill-treatment had
been superficial and ineffective.
2. The Court's assessment
a. Concerning the alleged ill-treatment
The
Court reiterates that Article 3 of the Convention prohibits in
absolute terms torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.
Ill-treatment must attain a minimum level of severity if it is to
fall within the scope of Article 3. The assessment of this minimum is
relative: it depends on all the circumstances of the case, such as
the duration of the treatment, its physical and mental effects and,
in some cases, the sex, age and state of health of the victim. In
respect of a person deprived of his liberty, recourse to physical
force which has not been made strictly necessary by his own conduct
diminishes human dignity and is in principle an infringement of the
right set forth in Article 3. (see Labita v. Italy [GC], no.
26772/95, 6 April 2000, §§ 119-20, ECHR 2000-IV).
In
assessing evidence, the Court has generally applied the standard of
proof “beyond reasonable doubt” (see Ireland v. the
United Kingdom, judgment of 18 January 1978, Series A no. 25, pp.
64-65, § 161). However, proof may follow from the coexistence of
sufficiently strong, clear and concordant inferences or of similar
unrebutted presumptions of fact. Where the events in issue lie
wholly, or in large part, within the exclusive knowledge of the
authorities, as in the case of persons under their control in
custody, strong presumptions of fact will arise in respect of
injuries occurring during such detention. Indeed, the burden of proof
may be regarded as lying with the authorities to provide a
satisfactory and convincing explanation (see Ribitsch v. Austria,
judgment of 4 December 1995, Series A no. 336, § 34,
and Salman v. Turkey [GC], no. 21986/93, § 100,
ECHR 2000-VII).
Turning to the facts of the case, the Court considers
that there is sufficient evidence (see paragraphs 11-13, 19 and 26)
that the applicant sustained injuries which were serious enough to
amount to ill-treatment within the meaning of Article 3. It
remains to be considered whether the State should be held responsible
under Article 3 for inflicting those injuries.
The
Court observes that it is not disputed between the parties that the
police officers used force to arrest the applicant at the scene of
crime and that he could have sustained some injuries as a result of
that action. The parties disagree, however, on whether the applicant
was beaten at the police station. Accordingly, the Court will examine
two separate issues:
whether the physical
force used against the applicant in the course of his apprehension
was compatible with the requirements of Article 3 of the Convention;
whether the
applicant was ill-treated at the police station.
i. Recourse to physical force during the
apprehension
The
Court observes that in the course of inquiries into the applicant's
allegations the domestic authorities advanced a plausible account of
the origin of the applicant's injuries, explaining that the injuries
had been sustained by him in the course of his arrest at the scene of
crime and that the police officers therefore could not be blamed for
having inflicted them (see paragraphs 24 and 26-28). In view of this
explanation, advanced by the domestic authorities themselves, the
Court will assess whether the use of force during the applicant's
arrest was excessive presuming that that use of force resulted in all
the injuries at issue.
In this respect the Court observes that the applicant
was arrested in the street when he attempted to rob a passer-by.
Therefore the police officers were under an obligation to catch the
applicant, who was in the process of committing a crime of which he
was subsequently convicted, and apparently tried to run away. These
circumstances count heavily against the applicant, with the result
that the Government's burden of proof that the use of force was not
excessive in this case is less stringent (see, mutatis mutandis,
Berliński v. Poland, nos. 27715/95 and 30209/96, §
62, 20 June 2002).
Considering
this version the Court further notes that the
cause of the injuries was also plausibly explained by the
domestic authorities: the bruises on the body and the concussion
could have been received by the applicant when he was knocked to the
ground and restrained by the officers when he offered resistance; the
abrasion of the wrist joint could have been caused by his being
handcuffed (see paragraphs 26-27). It is notable here as well that
the injuries at question were always classified cumulatively as minor
ones. In addition the Court notes that since there were only two
police officers effecting the apprehension they did not excessively
outnumber the applicant.
In
the light of these circumstances the Court finds that even assuming
that all the injuries had been inflicted on the applicant solely in
the course of his arrest, as suggested by the domestic authorities,
the recourse to physical force was made necessary by his own conduct
and cannot be held to have been excessive (see, mutatis mutandis,
Berliński v. Poland, cited above, §§ 62-64;
Milan v. France, no. 7549/03, §§ 46-65,
24 January 2008; and, a contrario, Rehbock v.
Slovenia, no. 29462/95, §§ 65-78, ECHR
2000 XII). Accordingly, there has been no violation of the
substantive limb of Article 3 in this regard.
ii. Alleged ill-treatment at the police
station
The
Court observes that neither of the documents submitted to the Court
contains reliable information that the injuries were inflicted on the
applicant at the police station. Meanwhile, as observed above, there
is certain evidence that the injuries could have been caused by the
arrest. It is also worth mentioning that the applicant did not ask
for a medical examination until four days after the events complained
of, which gives some area for speculation as to what could possibly
have happened to him in the intervening time, when there was no
involvement by State agents. In addition, the Court notes that it
took for the applicant about one month and a half to raise this
complaint before the domestic authorities.
Therefore,
given all the information in its possession the Court finds it
impossible to establish “beyond reasonable doubt” whether
any ill-treatment occurred at the police station as alleged by the
applicant.
It
follows that there has been no violation of the substantive limb of
Article 3 of the Convention in this respect either.
b. Concerning the effectiveness of the
investigation
The
Court reiterates that where an individual raises an arguable claim
that he or she has been seriously ill-treated by the police in breach
of Article 3, that provision, read
in conjunction with the State's general duty under Article 1 of the
Convention to “secure to everyone within their jurisdiction the
rights and freedoms defined in ... [the] Convention”, requires
by implication that there should be an effective official
investigation. This investigation should be capable of leading to the
identification and punishment of those responsible (see Assenov
and Others, judgment of 28 October 1998, Reports 1998-VIII,
§ 102, and Labita v. Italy cited above, § 131).
The minimum standards as to effectiveness defined by the Court's
case-law also include the requirements that the investigation must be
independent, impartial and subject to public
scrutiny, and that the competent
authorities must act with exemplary diligence and promptness (see,
for example, Menesheva v. Russia, no. 59261/00,
§ 67, ECHR 2006 ...).
The Court observes that the decisions not to institute
criminal proceedings against the police officers had been taken for
seven times. All these decisions, however, had been quashed by the
higher prosecutors or by the court following which the case was
remitted for further inquiries. As a result, it took more than four
years and seven months since the alleged ill-treatment that the
authorities eventually commenced the criminal proceedings. This
protraction, however, significantly diminished the prospect of
success of these proceedings. The Court further reiterates that,
since remittal is usually ordered because of errors committed by
lower authorities whose decisions are appealed against, the
repetition of such orders within one set of proceedings discloses a
serious deficiency (see, mutatis mutandis, Kozinets v.
Ukraine, no. 75520/01, § 61, 6 December 2007).
The
Court also notes that on several occasions the domestic court as well
as the higher prosecutors found that there had been serious omissions
in the course of the inquiries into the applicant's allegations upon
which the investigative authorities were given clear instructions as
to the way the inquiry should have been held. In particular, the
authorities were ordered to establish and question all the witnesses
who saw the applicant before and after his detention in the police
station and to inspect the relevant room of the police station with
the participation of the applicant and medical expert for the purpose
of specifying medical conclusions. It appears that those instructions
were not followed diligently.
In
the light of the above considerations the Court concludes that the
domestic authorities failed to carry out a prompt and thorough
investigation into the applicant's allegations about his alleged
ill-treatment at the police station. Therefore, there has been a
violation of the procedural limb of Article 3 of the Convention.
II. REMAINDER OF THE APPLICATION
The
applicant complained that the alleged ill-treatment by the police and
lack of effective investigation constituted violations of his rights
under Articles 1, 2, 13, 14, 6 §§ 1 and 3 (d)
of the Convention. He further complained under Article 5 § 1
(с) of the Convention alleging that
his detention by the police officers had been effected unlawfully.
Relying on Article 6 § 2 of the Convention the
applicant complained that the State authorities had failed to honour
the presumption of innocence in the course of criminal proceedings
against him. He complained finally under Article 6 § 1
of the Convention that the criminal proceedings against him had been
unfair and had lasted an unreasonably long time.
The
Court has examined the remainder of the applicant's complaints and
considers that, in the light of all the material in its possession
and in so far as the matters complained of were within its
competence, they did not disclose any appearance of a violation of
the rights and freedoms set out in the Convention or its Protocols.
Accordingly, the Court rejects them as manifestly
ill-founded, pursuant to Article 35 §§ 3 and 4 of
the Convention.
III. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION
Article 41 of the Convention provides:
“If 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.”
A. Damage
The
applicant claimed 70,000 euros (EUR) in respect of pecuniary
damage and EUR 30,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage.
The
Government submitted that there was no causal link between the
alleged violations and the pecuniary loss allegedly sustained as long
as the applicant failed to submit documents supporting such claims.
As regards the claims for non-pecuniary damage the Government
maintained that these had been exaggerated by the applicant and asked
the Court to decide on an equitable basis if any violation had been
found.
The
Court does not discern any causal link between the violation found
and the pecuniary damage alleged; it therefore rejects this claim. On
the other hand, having regard to its case-law in comparable cases and
making its assessment on an equitable basis, it awards the applicant
EUR 2,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage.
B. Costs and expenses
The
applicant also claimed EUR 2,000 for the costs and expenses incurred
before the domestic authorities and the Court as well as for the
translation without providing any relevant vouchers or bills.
The
Government pointed out that the applicant had failed to submit
relevant documents or vouchers in support of these claims.
The
Court observes that the applicant has not lodged any particular
evidence in support of his claims for costs and expenses. It
therefore decides not to award any sum under this head.
C. Default interest
The
Court considers it appropriate that the default interest should be
based on the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank, to
which should be added three percentage points.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT UNANIMOUSLY
Declares the complaints under Article 3
of the Convention admissible and the remainder of the
application inadmissible;
Holds that there has been no violation of
Article 3 of the Convention under its substantive limb;
Holds that there has been a violation of Article
3 of the Convention under its procedural limb;
Holds
(a) that
the respondent State is to pay the applicant, within three months
from the date on which the judgment becomes final in accordance with
Article 44 § 2 of the Convention, EUR 2,000 (two
thousand euros), plus any tax that may be chargeable, in respect of
non-pecuniary damage, to be converted into the national currency of
Ukraine at the rate applicable at the date of settlement;
(b) that
from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement
simple interest shall be payable on the above amount at a rate equal
to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the
default period plus three percentage points;
Dismisses the remainder of the applicant's claim
for just satisfaction.
Done in English, and notified in writing on 27 November 2008,
pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Stephen Phillips Rait Maruste
Deputy Registrar President