SECOND SECTION
CASE OF PUZANOV AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA
(Applications nos. 3669/18 and 29 others –
see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
11 May 2023
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Puzanov and Others v. Russia,
The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Lorraine Schembri Orland, President,
Frédéric Krenc,
Davor Derenčinović, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 13 April 2023,
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 disproportionate measures taken against them as participants or organisers of public assemblies. They 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. Jurisdiction
6. The Court observes that the facts giving rise to the alleged violations of the Convention occurred prior to 16 September 2022, the date on which the Russian Federation ceased to be a party to the Convention. The Court therefore decides that it has jurisdiction to examine the present applications (see Fedotova and Others v. Russia [GC], nos. 40792/10 and 2 others, §§ 68‑73, 17 January 2023).
III. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 11 OF THE CONVENTION
7. The applicants complained principally of disproportionate measures taken against them as participants or organisers of public assemblies, namely their arrest in relation to the dispersal of these assemblies and their conviction for administrative offences. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 11 of the Convention.
8. The Court refers to the principles established in its case-law regarding freedom of assembly (see Kudrevičius and Others v. Lithuania [GC], no. 37553/05, ECHR 2015, with further references) and proportionality of interference with it (see Oya Ataman v. Turkey, no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006‑XIV, and Hyde Park and Others v. Moldova, no. 33482/06, 31 March 2009).
9. In the leading cases of Frumkin v. Russia, no. 74568/12, ECHR 2016 (extracts), Navalnyy and Yashin v. Russia, no. 76204/11, 4 December 2014 and Kasparov and Others v. Russia, no. 21613/07, 3 October 2013, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.
10. 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 interferences with the applicants’ freedom of assembly were not “necessary in a democratic society”.
11. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention.
IV. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS UNDER WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW
12. Some applicants submitted other complaints which also raised issues under the Convention and Protocols thereto, given the relevant well‑established case-law of the Court (see the appended table). These complaints are not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, nor are they inadmissible on any other ground. Accordingly, they must be declared admissible. Having examined all the material before it, the Court concludes that they also disclose violations of the Convention in the light of its findings in Butkevich v. Russia, no. 5865/07, §§ 63-64, 13 February 2018; Tsvetkova and Others v. Russia, nos. 54381/08 and 5 others, §§ 115-31, 10 April 2018; Korneyeva v. Russia, no. 72051/17, §§ 34-36, 8 October 2019; and Teslenko and Others v. Russia, nos. 49588/12 and 3 others, §§ 72-74 and 81-82, 5 April 2022, as to prompt administrative escorting to and/or detention in a police station beyond three hours for non‑custodial offences, without substantiating the impossibility to compile an offence report at a rally venue or any exceptional circumstances or another valid ground under the Code of Administrative Offences (CAO) or continued detention after the offence report was compiled; and Karelin v. Russia, no. 926/08, §§ 58-85, 20 September 2016, concerning the lack of a prosecuting party in criminal proceedings under the CAO.
V. REMAINING COMPLAINTS
13. In view of the findings in paragraphs 11 and 12 above, there is no need to examine the other aspects of the complaints raised by some applicants under Articles 5 and 6 of the Convention.
VI. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION
14. 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.”
15. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Navalnyy and Others v. Russia [Committee], nos. 25809/17 and 14 others, § 22, 4 October 2022), the Court finds it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,
1. Decides to join the applications;
2. Holds that it has jurisdiction to deal with these applications as they relate to facts that took place before 16 September 2022;
3. Declares the complaints under Article 11 of the Convention and the other complaints under well-established case-law of the Court, as set out in the appended table, admissible, and decides that it is not necessary to examine the other aspects of the complaints raised by some applicants under Articles 5 and 6 of the Convention;
4. Holds that there has been a violation of Article 11 of the Convention;
5. Holds that there has been a violation of the Convention as regards the other complaints raised under well-established case-law of the Court (see the appended table);
6. 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 11 May 2023, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Viktoriya Maradudina Lorraine Schembri Orland
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 11 of the Convention
(disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies)
Application no. Date of introduction |
Applicant’s name Year of birth
|
Representative’s name and location |
Name of the public event Location Date |
Administrative charges |
Penalty |
Final domestic decision Court Name Date |
Other complaints under well-established case‑law |
Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros) [1] | |
|
3669/18 08/01/2018 |
Aleksandr Viktorovich PUZANOV 1995 |
Terekhov Konstantin Ilyich Moscow |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 500
fine of RUB 3,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 13/07/2017 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 12-13/06/2017 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling offence reports,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
4,000 |
|
3670/18 08/01/2018 |
Kirill Vyacheslavovich NIKITIN 1998 |
Terekhov Konstantin Ilyich Moscow |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 500
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 13/07/2017 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 12-13/06/2017 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling offence reports,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
4,000 |
|
3690/18 08/01/2018 |
German Aleksandrovich GORELIK 1967 |
Terekhov Konstantin Ilyich Moscow |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 500
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 13/07/2017 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 12-14/06/2017 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling offence reports,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
4,000 |
|
4025/18 08/01/2018 |
Sergey Leonidovich PODUSHKOV 1965 |
Terekhov Konstantin Ilyich Moscow |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 500
fine of RUB 3,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 20/07/2017 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 12-14/06/2017 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling offence reports,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
4,000 |
|
4028/18 08/01/2018 |
Ivan Ivanovich DRAGOMILOV 1990 |
Terekhov Konstantin Ilyich Moscow |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 500
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 27/07/2017 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 12-14/06/2017 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling offence reports,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
4,000 |
|
4820/18 12/01/2018 |
Vladimir Aleksandrovich FEDIN 1990 |
Terekhov Konstantin Ilyich Moscow |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 26/03/2017 |
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 13/07/2017 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
3,500 |
|
4904/18 17/01/2018 |
Artem Valeryevich SOLOMKIN 1990 |
Terekhov Konstantin Ilyich Moscow |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 1,000
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 18/07/2017 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 12-13/06/2017 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling offence reports,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
4,000 |
|
5277/18 08/01/2018 |
Yevgeniy Aleksandrovich PYRYAYEV 1945 |
Terekhov Konstantin Ilyich Moscow |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 500
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 11/07/2017 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 12-13/06/2017 escorting to and detention in a police station for compiling offence reports,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
4,000 |
|
6428/18 10/01/2018 |
Artem Valentinovich MISHCHENKO 1995 |
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 500
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 11/07/2017 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
3,500 |
|
7226/18 10/01/2018 |
Svetlana Ivanovna SAKHAROVA 1966 |
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 1,000
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 11/07/2017 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
3,500 |
|
7571/18 12/01/2018 |
Yuliya Igorevna SAVELYEVA 1994 |
Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 26/03/2017 |
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 13/07/2017 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
3,500 |
|
7628/18 10/01/2018 |
Kirill Alekseyevich KHROMOV 1989 |
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 500
fine of RUB 5,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 11/07/2017 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
3,500 |
|
7748/18 10/01/2018 |
Dmitriy Vladimirovich MALYUGA 1993 |
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 1,000
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 11/07/2017 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
3,500 |
|
8177/18 09/01/2018 |
Yuriy Mikhaylovich VASILYEV 1996 |
Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg |
Anticorruption rally
St Petersburg, 12/06/2017 |
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 11/07/2017 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
3,500 |
|
29140/18 07/06/2018 |
Vladimir Viktorovich SYTNIK 1967 |
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius |
Anticorruption rally
Rostov-on-Don, 07/10/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO |
3 days of detention |
Rostov Regional Court 07/12/2017 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
5,000 |
|
52988/18 26/10/2018 |
Eleonora Sergeyevna TERESHONOK 1995 |
Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg |
Opposition rally
St Petersburg, 05/05/2018 |
Article 19.3 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 500
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 26/06/2018 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
3,500 |
|
6679/19 21/01/2019 |
Anton Olegovich METELEV 1991 |
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius |
Opposition rally
Kirov, 05/05/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
Kirov Regional Court 07/08/2018 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
3,500 |
|
7628/19 21/01/2019 |
Natalya Nikolayevna KUPRIYANOVA 1999 |
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius |
Opposition rally
Saratov, 05/05/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
Saratov Regional Court 04/09/2018 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
3,500 |
|
7885/19 23/01/2019 |
Dmitriy Aleksandrovich VASILYEV 1980 |
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius |
Rally against the pension reform
St Petersburg, 09/09/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO |
6 days of detention |
St Petersburg City Court 02/10/2018 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 09-10/09/2018 detention in a police station after compiling an offence report,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
5,000 |
|
7915/19 23/01/2019 |
Dmitriy Igorevich PAVLOV 1998 |
Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg |
Rally against the pension reform
St Petersburg, 09/09/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 08/11/2018 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 09-11/09/2018 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling an offence report,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
4,000 |
|
7921/19 23/01/2019 |
Daniil Yaroslavovich FARADEY 1995 |
Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg |
Rally against the pension reform
St Petersburg, 09/09/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 08/11/2018 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 09-11/09/2018 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling an offence report,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
4,000 |
|
8052/19 26/01/2019 |
Richard Richardovich ROUZ 1985 |
Zboroshenko Nikolay Sergeyevich Mytishchi |
Opposition rally
Kirov, 05/05/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 2 of CAO |
fine of RUB 20,000 |
Kirov Regional Court 18/09/2018 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
3,500 |
|
8150/19 19/01/2019 |
Marat Faradovich SHABANOV 1984 |
Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg |
Rally against the pension reform
St Petersburg, 09/09/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 02/10/2018 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 09-10/09/2018 escorting to and detention in a police station for compiling an offence report,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
4,000 |
|
8244/19 21/01/2019 |
Mariya Dmitriyevna SIROTKINA 1993 |
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius |
Opposition rally
St Petersburg, 05/05/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 31/07/2018 |
|
3,500 |
|
8421/19 01/02/2019 |
Pavel Sergeyevich TUMENBAYEV 1988 |
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius |
Rally against the pension reform
St Petersburg, 09/09/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO |
fine of RUB 15,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 09/10/2018 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 09-10/09/2018 detention in a police station after compiling an offence report,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
4,000 |
|
8929/19 19/01/2019 |
Daniil Alekseyevich TROITSKIY 1998 |
Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg |
Rally against the pension reform
St Petersburg, 09/09/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO |
40 hours of community work |
St Petersburg City Court 02/10/2018 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 09-11/09/2018 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling an offence report,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
4,000 |
|
8998/19 22/01/2019 |
Yevgeniy Borisovich KASHPIREV 1993 |
Yesipova Alina Vladimirovna St Petersburg |
Rally against the pension reform
St Petersburg, 09/09/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO |
10 days of detention |
St Petersburg City Court 24/09/2018 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 09-11/09/2018 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling an offence report,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
5,000 |
|
15248/19 11/03/2019 |
Aleksandr Leonidovich KASATKIN 1992 |
Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Vilnius |
Rally against the pension reform
St Petersburg, 09/09/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO |
fine of RUB 15,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 16/10/2018 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 9-10/09/2018 detention in a police station for and after compiling an offence report,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
4,000 |
|
16142/19 07/03/2019 |
Yevgeniya Eduardovna LITVINOVA 1960 |
Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg |
Event against the pension reform
St Petersburg, 07/09/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 18/10/2018 |
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 26-27/09/2018 escorting to and detention in a police station for and after compiling an offence report in relation to the event on 07/09/2018,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
4,000 |
|
24478/19 30/04/2019 |
Eduard Viktorovich SHITIK 1961 |
Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg |
Event against the pension reform
St Petersburg, 07/09/2018 |
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO |
fine of RUB 10,000 |
St Petersburg City Court 21/02/2019 |
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings |
3,500 |