FOURTH SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 32486/22
Ioan-Sorin BUJOREAN against Romania
and 19 other applications
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 26 March 2026 as a Committee composed of:
Anne Louise Bormann, President,
Sebastian Răduleţu,
András Jakab, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above 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,
Having regard to the observations submitted by the respondent Government and the observations in reply submitted by the applicant,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDUREThe list of applicants is set out in the appended table.
The applicants’ complaints under Article 3 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention were communicated to the Romanian Government (“the Government”).
THE LAW Joinder of the applicationsHaving regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.
Complaints under Article 3 of the Convention (inadequate conditions of detention)Having examined all the material before it, the Court considers that for the reasons stated below, the present applications are inadmissible.
The applicants complained principally of the inadequate conditions of their detention. They relied on Article 3 of the Convention.
The Government argued that the applicants had failed to exhaust the available effective remedies for their complaints about the inadequate conditions of their detention, as the complaint with the judge responsible for supervising the deprivation of liberty (plângerea în fața judecătorului de supraveghere a privării de libertate), provided for by Article 56 of Law no. 254/2013, had become an effective remedy for grievances similar to those of the applicants.
The Court recalls that in Văscăuțanu v. Romania (dec.), no. 10120/23, §§ 47–59, 18 November 2025, it held that the remedy, which consists of lodging a complaint with the judge responsible for supervising the deprivation of liberty (plângerea în fața judecătorului de supraveghere a privării de libertate), provided for by Article 56 of no. 254/2013, constituted, as of 6 April 2023, an effective remedy enabling individuals who allege that they are being held in inadequate conditions of detention to put an end to their situation that they denounced as being contrary to Article 3 of the Convention.
In light of all the material in its possession, the Court observes that the applicants, who allege that they are being held in inadequate conditions of detention, did not indicate that they pursued the available remedy before the domestic courts (see Văscăuțanu, cited above, § 65). Therefore, their applications must be dismissed for failure to exhaust domestic remedies.
The Government also invoked other grounds of inadmissibility to argue that the present applications must be rejected.
Since it has already upheld the Government’s objection on the non‑exhaustion of domestic remedies, the Court does not consider it necessary to examine further the other arguments raised by the Government.
In view of the above, the Court finds that the applicants’ complaints concerning the periods set out in the appended table must be rejected for failure to exhaust the domestic remedy laid down in Article 56 of Law no. 254/2013, in accordance with Article 35 §§ 1 and 4 of the Convention.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to join the applications;
Declares the applications inadmissible.
Done in English and notified in writing on 16 April 2026.
Viktoriya Maradudina Anne Louise Bormann
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 3 of the Convention
(inadequate conditions of detention)
No.
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Year of birth
Facility
Start and end date
Duration
32486/22
31/10/2022
Ioan-Sorin BUJOREAN
1977
Botoșani, Iași, Arad, Oradea, Timișoara and Găești Prisons
23/07/2015
pending
More than 10 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 28 day(s)
33750/22
14/09/2022
Cătălin-Nicolae CERBU
1980
Baia Mare County Police Station, Gherla and Oradea Prisons
10/03/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 10 day(s)
33939/22
07/09/2022
Alexandru-Radu-Cristian MECLEŞ
1997
Gherla and Oradea Prisons
26/06/2017
pending
More than 8 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 25 day(s)
34736/22
08/08/2022
Adrian-Ionuţ VĂDUVA
1988
Giurgiu and Jilava Prisons
24/12/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 27 day(s)
35966/22
23/08/2022
Robert SCHIFIRNEŢ
1979
Arad, Codlea, Miercurea-Ciuc and Jilava Prisons
28/05/2003
pending
More than 22 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 23 day(s)
37264/22
30/08/2022
Alexandru-Cătălin MOISE
1993
Teleorman County Police Station, Giurgiu and Jilava Prisons
07/04/2018
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 13 day(s)
37269/22
22/08/2022
Virgil DOBRE
1979
Craiova, Târgu Jiu and Pelendava Prisons
19/12/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 1 day(s)
37285/22
29/08/2022
Cornel BURCIU
1984
Rahova and Craiova Prisons
11/12/2020
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 9 day(s)
38149/22
18/07/2022
Titi Viorel POPA
1983
Giurgiu and Mărgineni Prisons
01/12/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 19 day(s)
38329/22
09/11/2022
Irina-Ana PUŞCAŞ
1987
Gherla Prison
08/10/2018
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 12 day(s)
38342/22
29/08/2022
Gheorghe MARIAN
1971
Poarta Albă, Jilava, Rahova, Focșani, Galați, Colibași, Slobozia, Tulcea, Iași, Arad Prisons; Buzău Arrest Center, Jilava, Rahova and Poarta Albă Prison Hospitals
22/01/2021
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 29 day(s)
38620/22
05/12/2022
Ionuţ LINGURAR-PINTI
1983
Arad, Aiud, Giurgiu, Mărgineni, Codlea, Miercurea Ciuc and Timișoara Prisons
01/01/2012
pending
More than 14 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 19 day(s)
38924/22
22/09/2022
Gheorghe CHISĂLĂU
1950
Bacău, Aiud, Botoșani and Vaslui Prisons
28/02/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 23 day(s)
39529/22
12/09/2022
Gheorghe-Daniel NEAGOE
1985
Craiova and Aiud Prisons
13/08/2018
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 7 day(s)
40659/22
06/12/2022
Ovidiu NUNUCĂ
1981
Iasi, Bacau and Botosani Prisons; Dej Prison Hospital
26/02/2018
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 25 day(s)
40744/22
01/10/2022
Nicolae ADUMITROAIE
1978
Arad and Iași Police Stations; Arad, Timișoara, Jilava, Rahova, Iași, Galați, Codlea, Bacău, Giurgiu, Focșani, Craiova, Slobozia, Botoșani; Mioveni Prison Hospital
11/11/1999
pending
More than 26 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 9 day(s)
40884/22
28/10/2022
Gabriel-Antoniu BAKAI
1976
Aiud Prison
01/01/2020
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 19 day(s)
48289/22
27/09/2022
Mihai CÎMPINA
1977
Poarta Albă, Tulcea, Deva and Jilava Prisons
28/09/2020
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 23 day(s)
48866/22
23/02/2023
Ioan-Sorin OCNEAN
1995
Gherla, Aiud and Deva Prisons
28/03/2020
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 23 day(s)
51864/22
26/04/2023
Andrei-Cosmin ENE
1993
Craiova and Pelendava Prisons
14/11/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 6 day(s)