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European Court of Human Rights
You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> European Court of Human Rights >> GAVRILA AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA - 29414/16 (Judgment : Article 3 - Prohibition of torture : Fourth Section Committee) [2023] ECHR 127 (09 February 2023)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/2023/127.html
Cite as: ECLI:CE:ECHR:2023:0209JUD002941416, CE:ECHR:2023:0209JUD002941416, [2023] ECHR 127
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FOURTH SECTION
CASE OF GAVRILĂ AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA
(Application no. 29414/16 and 14 others –
see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
9 February 2023
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Gavrilă and Others v. Romania,
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Armen Harutyunyan, President,
Anja Seibert-Fohr,
Ana Maria Guerra Martins, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 19 January 2023,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
1. The case originated in applications against Romania 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 Romanian 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.
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 principally of the inadequate conditions of their detention. They relied on Article 3 of the Convention, which reads as follows:
“No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
7. In applications nos. 29414/16, 4605/17, 15926/17 and 43379/17, 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.
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 Dîrjan and Ştefan v. Romania ((dec.), nos. 14224/15 and 50977/15, §§ 23-33, 15 April 2020). This remedy was available to the applicants in applications nos. 29414/16, 4605/17, 15926/17 and 43379/17, and they were, indeed, afforded adequate redress for certain periods of detention (for details see the appended table).
9. Therefore, the Court accepts the Government’s objection and finds that these parts of applications nos. 29414/16, 4605/17, 15926/17 and 43379/17 are incompatible ratione personae with the provisions of the Convention and must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 (a) and 4 of the Convention.
10. Turning to the remaining periods of the applicants’ detention in all applications, as specified in the appended table, 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, §§ 96‑101, 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 detention conditions described are “degrading” from the point of view of Article 3 and may disclose a violation, both alone or taken together with other shortcomings (see Muršić, cited above, §§ 122-41, and Ananyev and Others v. Russia, nos. 42525/07 and 60800/08, §§ 149‑59, 10 January 2012).
11. In the leading case of Rezmiveș 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.
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 case of Polgar v. Romania, no. 39412/19, §§ 94-97, 20 July 2021), the Court considers that in the instant case the applicants’ conditions of detention, as described in the appended table, were inadequate.
13. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention.
III. REMAINING COMPLAINTS
14. In applications nos. 29414/16, 40497/16, 61534/16, 4605/17, 6559/17, 23886/17 and 43379/17, the applicants also raised other complaints under Article 3 of the Convention.
15. The Court has examined these complaints and considers that, in the light 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 34 and 35 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.
16. It follows that this part of the applications must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 § 4 of the Convention.
IV. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION
17. 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.”
18. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Rezmiveș and Others, cited above), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,
1. Decides to join the applications;
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;
3. Holds that these complaints disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention for the periods specified in the appended table below;
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 period plus three percentage points.
Done in English, and notified in writing on 9 February 2023, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Viktoriya Maradudina Armen Harutyunyan
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 3 of the Convention
(inadequate conditions of detention)
|
Application no. Date of introduction |
Applicant’s name Year of birth |
Representative’s name and location |
Facility Start and end date Duration |
Sq. m per inmate |
Specific grievances |
Domestic compensation awarded (in days) based on total period calculated by national authorities |
Amount awarded for pecuniary and non‑pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros) [1] | |
|
|
29414/16 13/06/2016 |
Florin GAVRILĂ 1992 |
|
Gherla, Târgu Mureș, Aiud and Arad Prisons; Jilava and Dej Prison Hospitals 21 periods during 17/06/2014 and 30/07/2017 8 month(s) and 16 day(s) |
-
|
bunk beds, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to shower, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to running water, no or restricted access to toilet, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack or inadequate furniture, no or restricted access to potable water
|
318 days in compensation for a total period of detention spent in inadequate conditions, including the period from 24/03/2014 to 30/07/2017 (except for the periods mentioned in column no. 5) |
1,000 |
|
|
40497/16 14/09/2016 |
Florin-Costel BURLACU 1980 |
|
Bistrița Prisons; Jilava Prison Hospital 12/10/2010 to 20/12/2016 6 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 9 day(s) |
1.15 - 2.40 m˛ |
overcrowding (only for certain periods spent in Bistrița Prison) lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, poor quality of potable water, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to running water, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, bunk beds |
|
5,000 |
|
|
61534/16 11/11/2016 |
Florin PÎRVU 1979 |
|
Craiova and Drobeta‑Turnu Severin Prisons 02/08/2013 to 18/05/2015 1 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 17 day(s)
Drobeta-Turnu Severin Prison; Jilava Prison Hospital 21/05/2015 to 31/01/2017 1 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 11 day(s) |
1.32 -2.81 m˛ |
overcrowding (save for 20/02/2014 - 21/02/2014; 17/09/2015 - 23/09/2015; 15/12/2015 - 16/12/2015; 20/01/2016-10/10/2016), infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, inadequate temperature, poor quality of food, poor quality of potable water, bunk beds, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities |
|
3,000 |
|
|
61862/16 18/01/2017 |
Constantin CINCU 1981 |
|
Rahova and Craiova Prisons 16/03/2015 to 12/06/2017 2 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 28 day(s) |
1.30 -2.32 m˛ |
overcrowding (save for 18/10/2016-10/06/2017), mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of privacy for toilet, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water |
|
3,000 |
|
|
4605/17 03/01/2017 |
Mihai LACATOŞ 1973 |
Nicoleta Trif Arad |
Arad Prison 24/04/2014 to 04/08/2016 2 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 12 day(s)
Mioveni (Colibași) Prison Hospital 31/10/2016 to 10/11/2016 11 day(s)
Arad Prison 03/08/2018 to 28/02/2019 6 month(s) and 26 day(s)
Arad Prison 07/03/2019 to 07/10/2019 7 month(s) and 1 day(s)
Arad Prison 24/12/2019 to 13/04/2020 3 month(s) and 21 day(s) |
-
|
infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of food, lack or inadequate furniture, no or restricted access to toilet, inadequate temperature, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen
|
168 days in compensation for a total period of detention spent in inadequate conditions, including the period from 22/04/2014 to 23/12/2019 (except for the periods shown in column no. 5) |
3,000 |
|
|
6559/17 10/04/2017 |
Costel STÎNGĂ 1970 |
Irina Maria Peter Bucharest |
Focșani, Dâmbovița (Mărgineni), Arad, Craiova, Ploiești, Târgu Jiu and Drobeta-Turnu Severin Prisons; Mioveni (Colibași) Prison Hospital 10/06/2008 to 01/08/2017 9 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 23 day(s) |
1.10 -2.23 m˛ |
overcrowding (save for the periods spent in Arad Prison and Mioveni (Colibași) Prison Hospital and other scattered periods), bunk beds, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of fresh air, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to running water |
|
5,000 |
|
|
10810/17 16/01/2017 |
Gheorghe CĂPĂŢÎNĂ 1984 |
Nicoleta Trif Arad |
Arad County Police Station; Arad and Timișoara Prisons; Mioveni (Colibași) Prison Hospital 06/04/2015 to 26/01/2017 1 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 21 day(s) |
2 - 2.25 m˛ |
overcrowding (save for the periods spent in Arad Prison and Mioveni (Colibași) Prison Hospital), lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to toilet, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, poor quality of food, lack of toiletries, inadequate temperature |
|
3,000 |
|
|
10839/17 18/01/2017 |
Ilie ARHIRE 1972 |
Elisabeta Janet Ardelianu Bacău |
Rahova, Iași, Tulcea, Botoșani, and Vaslui Prisons 04/08/2011 to 29/01/2016 4 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 26 day(s)
Focșani Prison 05/02/2016 to 17/01/2017 11 month(s) and 13 day(s) |
1.21 -2.17 m˛
|
overcrowding, bunk beds, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient electric light, no or restricted access to warm water, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, poor quality of food, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of potable water |
|
5,000 |
|
|
15926/17 17/03/2017 |
Mihai-Marius MUNTEAN 1984 |
|
Arad Prison 11/11/2019 to 28/11/2019 18 day(s)
Arad Prison 05/12/2019 to 16/07/2020 7 month(s) and 12 day(s) |
- |
infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack of or insufficient natural light |
24 days in compensation for a total period of detention spent in inadequate conditions from 12/01/2017 to 24/05/2017
120 days in compensation for a total period of detention spent in inadequate conditions from 05/03/2018 to 23/12/2019 (except for the periods spent in Arad Prison) |
1,000 |
|
|
18172/17 08/02/2017 |
Béla TALPOS 1968 |
Ioan Cătălin Daniel Trif Satu Mare |
Oradea, Baia Mare and Satu Mare Prisons; Dej Prison Hospital 30/12/2015 to 22/02/2017 1 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 24 day(s) |
1.30 -2.23 m˛ |
overcrowding (save for 30/12/2015 - 21/01/2016; 11/04/2016 - 04/05/2016; 20/10/2016-18/11/2016), bunk beds, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to shower, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, constant electric light, mouldy or dirty cell |
|
3,000 |
|
|
23886/17 21/03/2017 |
Ciprian-Dudu DEACU 1976 |
|
Găești and Codlea Prisons 10/04/2015 to 18/03/2016 11 month(s) and 9 day(s)
Găești and Codlea Prisons 24/03/2016 to 09/01/2017 9 month(s) and 17 day(s) |
2.25 -2.76 m˛ |
overcrowding (save for 14/04/2016-20/04/2016), lack of fresh air, poor quality of food, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient natural light, no or restricted access to potable water, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities |
|
3,000 |
|
|
43379/17 12/02/2018 |
Vasile CERCEL 1982 |
|
Arad Prison 07/11/2016 to 28/11/2016 22 day(s)
Arad Prison 15/12/2016 to 27/11/2017 11 month(s) and 13 day(s)
Arad Prison 21/12/2017 to 18/08/2018 7 month(s) and 29 day(s) |
-
|
bunk beds, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, poor quality of food
|
6 days in compensation for certain periods of detention spent in inadequate conditions from 03/11/2016 to 18/08/2018 (except for the periods shown in column no. 5) |
3,000 |
|
|
52795/17 17/07/2017 |
Ioan MOTTL 1976 |
Marius-Sorin Moldovan Cluj Napoca |
Timiş County Police Station; Timişoara, Jilava, Baia Mare, Dâmbovița (Mărgineni), Aiud, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Craiova, Arad and Gherla Prisons; Jilava, Dej and Mioveni Prison Hospitals 20/08/1997 to 31/01/2017 19 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 12 day(s) |
1.34 -2.72 m˛ |
overcrowding (save for certain rather scattered periods), no or restricted access to toilet, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to shower, poor quality of food, bunk beds, insufficient number of sleeping places, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen |
|
5,000 |
|
|
75492/17 17/10/2017 |
Ştefan VUŞCA 1985 |
Cristea Paul Oradea |
Oradea Prison 25/05/2016 to 12/09/2017 1 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 19 day(s) |
1.46 m˛ |
overcrowding (save for 25/05/2016 - 15/06/2016, 27/04/2017-12/09/2017), mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of privacy for toilet, inadequate temperature, poor quality of food, infestation of cell with insects/rodents |
|
3,000 |
|
|
80865/17 22/11/2017 |
Radu-Sebastian POPA 1973 |
|
Rahova Prison 12/11/2014 to 13/07/2017 2 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 2 day(s) |
2.41 -2.79 m˛ |
overcrowding (save for 01/02/2017-07/07/2017), mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of fresh air, inadequate temperature, lack of or insufficient natural light, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient quantity of food |
|
3,000 |