THIRD SECTION
CASE OF DERUNOV AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA
(Applications nos. 64021/16 and 27 others –
see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
10 November 2022
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Derunov and Others v. Russia,
The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Darian Pavli, President,
Andreas Zünd,
Frédéric Krenc, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 20 October 2022,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
1. The case originated in applications against Russia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on the various dates indicated in the appended table.
2. The Russian Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the applications.
THE FACTS
3. The list of applicants and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table.
4. The applicants complained of the inadequate conditions of their detention. Some applicants also raised other complaints under the provisions of the Convention.
THE LAW
I. JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS
5. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.
II. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF THE CONVENTION
6. The applicants complained of the inadequate conditions of their detention in correctional colony IK-11 in the Nizhniy Novgorod Region. They relied on Article 3 of the Convention, which reads as follows:
Article 3
“No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
7. The Court notes that the applicants were kept in detention in poor conditions. The details of the applicants’ detention are indicated in the appended table. The Court refers to the principles established in its case‑law regarding inadequate conditions of detention (see, for instance, Muršić v. Croatia [GC], no. 7334/13, §§ 96-177, 20 October 2016; Kudła v. Poland [GC], no. 30210/96, §§ 90‑94, ECHR 2000‑XI, and Ananyev and Others v. Russia, nos. 42525/07 and 60800/08, §§ 139‑65, 10 January 2012). It reiterates in particular that extreme lack of space in a prison cell or overcrowding weighs heavily as an aspect to be taken into account for the purpose of establishing whether the impugned detention conditions were “degrading” from the point of view of Article 3 and may disclose a violation, both alone or taken together with other shortcomings (see, amongst many authorities, Karalevičius v. Lithuania, no. 53254/99, §§ 36–40, 7 April 2005).
8. In the leading case of Sergey Babushkin v. Russia, no. 5993/08, 28 November 2013, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.
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 on 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 applicants’ conditions of detention were inadequate.
10. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention.
III. REMAINING COMPLAINTS
11. Some applicants also raised complaints under Article 13 of the Convention in relation to their conditions-of-detention complaints. Having regard to its finding in paragraph 10 above, the Court does not consider it necessary to examine the present complaints separately.
IV. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION
12. 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.”
13. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Sergey Babushkin v. Russia, (just satisfaction), no. 5993/08, 16 October 2014, and Mozharov and Others v. Russia, no.16401/12 and 9 others, 21 March 2017), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.
14. 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.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,
1. Decides to join the applications;
2. Declares the complaints under Article 3 of the Convention admissible and decides that it is not necessary to examine separately the complaints under Article 13 of the Convention;
3. Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention after conviction;
4. Holds
(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 currency of the respondent State 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 amounts at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default during the default period plus three percentage points.
Done in English, and notified in writing on 10 November 2022, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Viktoriya Maradudina Darian Pavli
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 3 of the Convention
(inadequate conditions of detention after conviction)
Application no. Date of introduction |
Applicant’s name Year of birth
|
Representative’s name and location |
Start and end date Duration |
Inmates per brigade Sq. m per inmate Number of toilets per brigade |
Specific grievances |
Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros) [1] | |
|
64021/16 25/10/2016 |
Sergey Aleksandrovich DERUNOV 1985 |
|
19/12/2011 to 19/08/2021 9 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 1 day(s) |
2.2 m˛ |
overcrowding, no or restricted access to warm water, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to toilet |
12,500 |
|
68739/16 09/11/2016 |
Anatoliy Anatolyevich ORLOV 1985 |
|
24/06/2013 to 08/11/2016 3 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 16 day(s) |
140 inmate(s) 2.3 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
poor quality of food, no or restricted access to warm water |
5,000 |
|
77538/16 07/12/2016 (6 applicants) |
Aleksey Viktorovich ZHUKOV 1975
Yevgeniy Anatolyevich ZLOKAZOV 1971
Yuriy Yuryevich PETROV 1980
Igor Feliksovich DYATLENKO 1965
Mikhail Yuryevich ZOBOV 1970
Yuriy Aleksandrovich STOLYAROV 1974 |
|
21/07/2008 to 04/07/2017 8 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 14 day(s)
21/05/2012 - pending More than 10 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 6 day(s)
30/05/2011 to 25/04/2017 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 27 day(s)
07/11/2011 - pending More than 10 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 20 day(s)
15/04/2013 to 20/11/2018 5 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 6 day(s)
27/10/2014 to 27/01/2017 2 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 1 day(s) |
2,2 m˛ 8 toilet(s) |
no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack or insufficient quantity of food, overcrowding, no or restricted access to toilet |
6,800, to be paid to Mr Zhukov
12,500, to be paid to Mr Zlokazov
6,300, to be paid to Mr Petrov
12,500, to be paid to Mr Dyatlenko
11,000, to be paid to Mr Zobov
5,500, to be paid to Mr Stolyarov
|
|
610/18 27/11/2017 |
Andrey Vladimirovich LUKYANOV 1991 |
|
20/03/2017 to 06/10/2020 3 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 17 day(s) |
145 inmate(s) 2.2 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
overcrowding, poor quality of food, inadequate number of toilets and wash basins |
12,500 |
|
1213/18 12/12/2017 |
Aleksandr Sergeyevich GORODILOV 1985 |
|
24/02/2015 to 29/03/2018 3 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 6 day(s) |
130 inmate(s) 2.1-2.3 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
overcrowding, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to running water, lack of fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents |
6,000 |
|
2021/18 25/02/2018 |
Aleksey Nikolayevich MITRYUKOV 1979 |
|
09/02/2018 to 01/06/2020 2 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 24 day(s) |
35 inmate(s) 2 - 2,5 m˛ |
infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, mouldy or dirty cell, overcrowding |
4,700 |
|
2701/18 07/12/2017 |
Oleg Krosmanovich AYDAROV 1976 |
|
30/04/2014 to 11/03/2022 7 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 12 day(s) |
140 inmate(s) 2.1 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
poor quality of food, lack of fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents |
12,500 |
|
2836/18 13/11/2017 |
Aleksandr Gennadyevich SHELESNYY 1983 |
|
31/07/2017 to 24/06/2019 1 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 25 day(s) |
140 inmate(s) 2.3 m˛ |
no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to running water, small dressing room, lack of dryer, no or restricted access to warm water, poor quality of food |
6,800 |
|
3541/18 04/12/2017 |
Burikhon Urunovich KHUDOYNAZAROV 1965 |
|
25/03/2013 to 02/04/2019 6 year(s) and 9 day(s) |
145 inmate(s) 2.2 m˛ |
lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, overcrowding, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to running water, lack of fresh air |
9,000 |
|
3774/18 30/12/2017 |
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich SMIRNOV 1977 |
|
14/03/2011 to 29/12/2017 6 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 16 day(s) |
2.3 m˛ |
overcrowding, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, poor quality of food, lack or insufficient quantity of food, inadequate provided clothing, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to running water, no or restricted access to toilet |
5,000 |
|
3852/18 13/12/2017 |
Vladimir Gennadyevich ROMANOV 1984 |
|
25/07/2012 to 27/10/2017 5 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 3 day(s) |
140 inmate(s) 2.2 m˛ |
no or restricted access to warm water, poor quality of food, overcrowding |
5,000 |
|
4240/18 26/12/2017 |
Vitaliy Aleksandrovich CHIKIN 1971 |
|
20/03/2015 to 19/05/2020 5 year(s) and 2 month(s) |
2 m˛ |
lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to toilet, overcrowding, poor quality of food |
12,300 |
|
5264/18 13/01/2018 |
Valeriy Nikolayevich ZIS 1989 |
|
22/04/2013 to 24/10/2017 4 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 3 day(s) |
2.3 m˛ |
no or restricted access to warm water, poor quality of food, no warm clothes |
5,000 |
|
5490/18 15/12/2017 |
Vasiliy Nikolayevich PETROV 1982 |
|
07/07/2008 to 07/11/2017 9 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 1 day(s) |
140 inmate(s) 2.3 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
overcrowding, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, poor quality of food, lack or insufficient quantity of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen |
5,000 |
|
7979/18 22/01/2018 |
Roman Grigoryevich BAGDIYAN 1981 |
|
05/06/2012 to 10/07/2019 7 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 6 day(s) |
2.1 m˛ |
overcrowding, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to toilet, poor quality of food, lack of requisite medical assistance, detention together with ill inmates, mouldy or dirty cell |
9,500 |
|
8806/18 31/01/2018 |
Aleksey Viktorovich ZHABANOV 1973 |
|
16/02/2015 to 27/10/2017 2 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 12 day(s) |
2.3 m˛ |
overcrowding, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, poor quality of food, lack or insufficient quantity of food, insufficient provision of clothing, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities |
5,000 |
|
13276/18 05/03/2018 |
Aleksandr Sergeyevich FABIYEV 1985 |
|
26/09/2006 to 19/12/2017 11 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 24 day(s) |
135 inmate(s) 2.4 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, poor quality of food |
5,000 |
|
13278/18 06/03/2018 |
Anatoliy Alekseyevich MASLAKOV 1982 |
|
20/03/2015 to 19/12/2017 2 year(s) and 9 month(s) |
135 inmate(s) 2.3 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, poor quality of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen |
5,000 |
|
16040/18 19/03/2018 |
Artem Sergeyevich BOLDYREV 1993 |
|
02/03/2017 to 06/11/2021 4 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 5 day(s) |
137 inmate(s) 2.2 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
overcrowding, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to running water, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, mouldy or dirty cell |
12,500 |
|
18187/18 12/02/2018 |
Maksim Andreyevich FUNDOVOY 1986 |
|
06/03/2017 to 04/09/2017 5 month(s) and 30 day(s) |
140 inmate(s) 2 m˛ 7 toilet(s) |
overcrowding, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food, sharing cells with inmates infected with contagious disease, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, passive smoking |
2,900 |
|
18220/18 19/03/2018 |
Sergey Nikolayevich MOTLOKHOV 1980 |
|
23/01/2007 to 15/06/2019 12 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 24 day(s) |
140 inmate(s) 2.3 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
overcrowding, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, poor quality of food, lack or insufficient quantity of food, insufficient provision of seasonal clothing |
8,800 |
|
18371/18 15/03/2018 |
Yevgeniy Nikolayevich BUSYGIN 1987 |
|
14/07/2014 to 17/03/2020 5 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 4 day(s) |
135 inmate(s) 2.2 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
overcrowding, no or restricted access to toilet, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to running water |
11,300 |
|
19933/18 10/04/2018 |
Dmitriy Vladimirovich GORELIKOV 1978 |
|
20/09/2010 to 20/11/2018 8 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 1 day(s) |
130 inmate(s) 2-2.2 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
overcrowding, no or restricted access to warm water, lack or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, lack or insufficient quantity of food, failure to provide appropriate clothes and footwear for different seasons, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, insufficient number of toilets and wash basins |
7,000 |
|
23460/18 23/04/2018 |
Sanal Vladimirovich SUKIYEV 1975 |
|
03/09/2012 to 29/09/2019 7 year(s) and 27 day(s) |
120 inmate(s) 2.5 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to toilet, poor quality of food, sharing cells with inmates infected with contagious disease, infestation of cell with insects/rodents |
9,500 |
|
24659/18 14/05/2018 |
Oleg Aleksandrovich KUZNETSOV 1988 |
|
01/05/2017 to 17/12/2021 4 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 17 day(s) |
120 inmate(s) 2 m˛ |
overcrowding, lack of fresh air, no or restricted access to toilet, infestation of cell with insects/rodents |
12,500 |
|
31558/18 27/06/2018 |
Nikolay Aleksandrovich IVLIYEV 1984 |
|
04/04/2014 to 24/09/2018 4 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 21 day(s) |
145 inmate(s) 2.2 m˛ 6 toilet(s) |
sharing cells with inmates infected with contagious disease, overcrowding, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient natural light, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to shower, lack of requisite medical assistance |
5,800 |
|
32369/18 27/06/2018 |
Mger Seyranovich KIRAKOSYAN 1977 |
|
28/05/2012 to 07/03/2022 9 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 8 day(s) |
2.1 m˛ |
overcrowding, lack or inadequate furniture, bad odour in dormitory, no or restricted access to running water, poor quality of food, lack of fresh air, no or restricted access to toilet |
12,500 |
|
33940/18 09/07/2018 |
Yevgeniy Aleksandrovich CHISTOV 1984 |
Solovyev Igor Anatolyevich Rzhev |
11/04/2016 to 03/08/2020 4 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 24 day(s) |
2 m˛ 10 toilet(s) |
overcrowding, inadequate temperature, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, poor quality of food |
11,300 |