FIRST SECTION
CASE OF ADROVIĆ AND OTHERS v. MONTENEGRO
(Application no. 8318/20)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
11 April 2024
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Adrović and Others v. Montenegro,
The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Péter Paczolay, President,
Gilberto Felici,
Raffaele Sabato, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 21 March 2024,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
PROCEDURE
1. The case originated in an application against Montenegro lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on 24 December 2019.
2. The applicants were represented by Mr D. Prelević, a lawyer practising in Podgorica.
3. The Montenegrin Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the application.
THE FACTS
4. The applicants’ details and information relevant to the application are set out in the appended table.
5. The applicants complained of the non-enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies.
6. On 30 May 2019 the Constitutional Court found a violation of the applicants’ rights under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention on account of non-enforcement. The applicants were awarded 2,000 euros each in non-pecuniary damage. However, the domestic decisions under consideration remain unenforced until the present day.
THE LAW
ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION AND OF ARTICLE 1 OF PROTOCOL No. 17. The applicants complained principally of the non-enforcement of domestic decisions given in their favour. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and on Article 1 of Protocol No. 1.
8. The Government submitted that the applicants had failed to inform the Court that they had received payment in the amount of approximately 6% of the main debt before the case was communicated to the Government. They invited the Court to reject the application as an abuse of the right of individual application in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 (a) and 4 of the Convention.
9. The Court reiterates that the execution of a judgment given by any court must be regarded as an integral part of a “hearing” for the purposes of Article 6. It also refers to its case-law concerning the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of final domestic judgments (see Hornsby v. Greece, no. 18357/91, § 40, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1997‑II).
10. The Court further notes that the decisions in the present case ordered specific action to be taken. The Court therefore considers that the decisions in question constitute “possessions” within the meaning of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1.
11. In the leading cases of R. Kačapor and Others v. Serbia (nos. 2269/06 and 5 others, §§ 97-99, 106-16 and 119-20, 15 January 2008), and Mijanović v. Montenegro (no. 19580/06, §§ 81-91, 17 September 2013), 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. In particular, as regards the Government’s argument (see paragraph 8 above), the Court notes that the payment in question concerned minor percentage of the applicants’ claims and that, at the time of the communication of the case, the substantial part of their claims remained unenforced. The Government’s objection must therefore be rejected.
13. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court rejects the Government’s objection and considers that in the instant case the authorities did not deploy all necessary efforts to enforce fully and in due time the decisions in the applicants’ favour.
14. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1.
APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION15. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and its own case‑law (see, in particular, R. Kačapor and Others, cited above, §§ 123-26; Stošić v. Serbia, no. 64931/10, §§ 66-68, 1 October 2013; and Mastilović and Others v. Montenegro, no. 28754/10, § 52, 24 February 2022) the Court considers it reasonable not to award the applicants compensation in respect of non-pecuniary damage because it has already been awarded domestically (see paragraph 6 above), but to award them jointly a sum for costs and expenses indicated in the appended table.
16. The Court further notes that the respondent State has an outstanding obligation to enforce the judgments which remain enforceable.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,
Declares the application admissible;Holds that this application discloses a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 concerning the non‑enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies;Holds that the respondent State shall ensure, by appropriate means, within three months, the enforcement of the pending domestic decisions referred to in the appended table;Holds(a) that the respondent State is to pay the applicants jointly, within three months, the amount 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 amount 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 April 2024, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Viktoriya Maradudina Péter Paczolay
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
Application raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1
(non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies)
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Year of birth
Representative’s name and location
Relevant domestic decision
Start date of non-enforcement period
End date of non-enforcement period
Length of enforcement proceedings
Amount awarded for costs and expenses per application
(in euros)[1]
8318/20
24/12/2019
(356 applicants)
Zifo ADROVIĆ
1959
Grujica PERIŠIĆ
1959
Boris RADOVIĆ
1963
Slobodan MILIĆ
1948
Duško BULATOVIĆ
1966
Danijela JEVRIĆ
1971
Stevan NEDOVIĆ
1953
Slavko OTAŠEVIĆ
1951
Rajko VUČINIĆ
1950
Slavko BOZOVIC
1956
Najdan BULATOVIĆ
1981
Nezir HUREMOVIĆ
1948
Vukosav KLJAJEVIĆ
1950
Boško MARTINOVIĆ
1964
Branislav NENADIĆ
1953
Petar ŠUNDIĆ
1947
Radoš VUJADINOVIĆ
1954
Slavko VUKOVIĆ
1956
Snežana AŠANIN
1970
Miljan BULATOVIĆ
1959
Veselin BULATOVIĆ
1956
Nada GRUJIĆ
1952
Slavka MARAŠ
1951
Savo SAVIČIĆ
1944
Milorad SEKULIĆ
1957
Veselin VUKADINOVIĆ
1950
Radomir ŽARKOVIĆ
1950
Vasko ĆETKOVIĆ
1945
Miladin LAKIĆEVIĆ
1947
Emir MUSTAGRUDIĆ
1964
Radmila VUKMIROVIĆ
1949
Nada ĆETKOVIĆ
1956
Dragoljub DRAGOJEVIĆ
1957
Savo DROBNJAK
1959
Radosav KONJEVIĆ
1961
Zoran ŠĆEKIĆ
1961
Radoman BULATOVIĆ
1951
Diko GAZDIĆ
1951
Stanka GOVEDARICA
1950
Vesna LJUMOVIĆ
1966
Milenko MARAŠ
1956
Marija KLIKOVAC
1956
Predrag DEJANOVIĆ
1962
Goran FILIPOVIĆ
1961
Đorđije MUGOŠA
1950
Vidak VUKIĆEVIĆ
1962
Milija DEDIĆ
1947
Stanuša JOVANOVIĆ
1955
Nikola LOPIČIĆ
1951
Goran PEJOVIĆ
1972
Neđeljko PETROVIĆ
1970
Zagorka PETROVIĆ
1953
Svetozar VUKČEVIĆ
1948
Ljubiša ASANOVIĆ
1950
Milan GOGIĆ
1954
Tomislav IVANOVIĆ
1951
Miladin NIKOLIĆ
1960
Slavka PETROVIĆ
1958
Vukić STANIĆ
1949
Živko VUJOVIĆ
1954
Dušica ŽIVALJEVIĆ
1955
Vukota ĐURIŠIĆ
1950
Veselin GAČEVIĆ
1958
Božidar MALOVIĆ
1955
Dejan RADEVIĆ
1956
Senka RAKČEVIĆ
1952
Đerđ ĐOKIĆ
1985
Mirko GARDAŠEVIĆ
1957
Milojka KOVAČEVIĆ
1957
Milorad KOVAČEVIĆ
1951
Ivan POPOVIĆ
1978
Trajko RADIČKOVIĆ
1954
Đorđije DURKOVIĆ
1947
Dragan RADONJIĆ
1956
Slobodan RAIČEVIĆ
1953
Milorad BABIĆ
1946
Radisav BOŠKOVIĆ
1949
Novo DABANOVIĆ
1948
Ranko GARDAŠEVIĆ
1952
Slavko MEDENICA
1956
Slavko VUKČEVIĆ
1952
Nevenka BOLJEVIĆ
1964
Milenko GARDAŠEVIĆ
1965
Dragoslav MARKOVIĆ
1951
Velimir OTAŠEVIĆ
1951
Veselin RADINOVIĆ
1945
Vukašin ŠĆEKIĆ
1945
Senka VIDIĆ
1953
Krsto GLOBAREVIĆ
1946
Zoran KLISIĆ
1957
Velimir RADINOVIĆ
1954
Halim BALIĆ
1947
Milorad BURZANOVIĆ
1958
Vidosava JOVANOVIĆ
1956
Marko OSTOJIĆ
1960
Zoran PEJATOVIĆ
1959
Milan PEJOVIĆ
1954
Nataša RADINOVIĆ
1972
Milenko REŠETAR
1953
Vukomir GOLUBOVIĆ
1949
Gojko KALUĐEROVIĆ
1965
Natalija PERIĆ
1951
Rajko BOLJEVIĆ
1959
Vidosava BRNOVIĆ
1951
Lidija KALEZIĆ
1957
Jakša LEKOVIĆ
1973
Božidar MAROVIĆ
1945
Zdravko RADULOVIĆ
1949
Vida BOJANOVIĆ
1949
Dragan KOJIĆ
1950
Dušan MRDAK
1953
Božidar VLAHOVIĆ
1962
Andrija BRAJOVIĆ
1956
Ilija DEDIĆ
1944
Radivoje DOBRAŠINOVIĆ
1949
Dragoljub KALEZIĆ
1951
Željka KALUĐEROVIĆ
1968
Milan KOVAČEVIĆ
1951
Drago KRALJEVIĆ
1959
Vojislav VUJOVIĆ
1951
Miloica ZINDOVIĆ
1949
Zarija BRNOVIĆ
1954
Vera RADOVIĆ
1958
Radovan MILIĆ
1958
Tomislav ŠĆEKIĆ
1965
Mihailo TOMOVIĆ
1949
Božidar ŠĆEKIĆ
1950
Branka JOVANOVIĆ
1954
Nataša MILOŠEVIĆ
1964
Mirjana RADOVIĆ
1955
Nela STOJANOVIĆ
1968
Vera TRAJKOVIĆ
1954
Mira VLAHOVIĆ
1962
Gano ELEZOVIĆ
1953
Stanica KALEZIĆ
1948
Miloš RADULOVIĆ
1951
Radmila STOŽINIĆ
1950
Vanja ĐEKIĆ
1985
Radovan ŠĆEKIĆ
1954
Racko VUKČEVIĆ
1951
Anton LJUĐUROVIĆ
1964
Slavko VUJOTIĆ
1952
Duško BULATOVIĆ
1972
Vesna GILIĆ
1950
Petar JEVRIĆ
1951
Zdravko PETKOVIĆ
1952
Hamid ŠABOTIĆ
1964
Ljubomir VUKMIROVIĆ
1955
Dragoljub JOVANOVIĆ
1951
Žarko PETROVIĆ
1958
Dragan SAVOVIĆ
1946
Dragan SEKULIĆ
1956
Tanja BAJOVIĆ
1967
Nataša BULATOVIĆ
1965
Ranko DARMANOVIĆ
1955
Milinko KRUNIĆ
1947
Milovan RABRENOVIĆ
1953
Petar KARANIKIĆ
1949
Momčilo BABIĆ
1954
Miloš JOVANOVIĆ
1964
Ika KAPETANOVIĆ
1952
Branko RAKČEVIĆ
1947
Radonja VLAHOVIĆ
1959
Dragan FILIPOVIĆ
1972
Zoran KEKOVIĆ
1954
Hafiz CANOVIĆ
1951
Nikola BUKILIĆ
1958
Dragomir BOŠKOVIĆ
1959
Ljubiša VUKSANOVIĆ
1957
Veselin RADOVIĆ
1961
Jusuf MUHOVIĆ
1944
Momčilo JOKIĆ
1958
Draško BUKILIĆ
1952
Milorad BAJIĆ
1949
Ruždija TALJANOVIĆ
1950
Zlatana SMOLOVIĆ
1947
Milenko RADONJIĆ
1979
Zoran POPOVIĆ
1966
Marta MIRANOVIĆ
1949
Milka KULIĆ
1954
Novak RADULOVIĆ
1956
Milan MUGOŠA
1954
Borislav MARKOVIĆ
1950
Rahman LJIKAJ
1943
Jovo JOVANOVIĆ
1952
Bajo ĐUROVIĆ
1945
Dragutin NIKOLIĆ
1956
Dragomir ZEČEVIĆ
1952
Novo RUTOVIĆ
1959
Momčilo RAKČEVIĆ
1947
Vera POPIVODA
1965
Miljan MILJKOVIĆ
1951
Milosava MARTIĆ
1954
Ismet BAJRAMOVIĆ
1957
Rajko VUKOVIĆ
1955
Dragić JELIĆ
1957
Milica DŽANKIĆ
1952
Mijomir CAMOVIĆ
1951
Slavka ZEČEVIĆ
1964
Radojka VUKSANOVIĆ
1955
Radoje VLAHOVIĆ
1951
Branko PAJOVIĆ
1961
Ljuca IVEZAJ
1952
Darko ĐURIČKOVIĆ
1954
Čedomir FILIPOVIĆ
1961
Milorad JOKSOVIĆ
1958
Dragiša LAKIĆEVIĆ
1949
Velizar POPOVIĆ
1958
Ratko RADONJIĆ
1948
Želimir GLAVATOVIĆ
1956
Veselin MIROTIĆ
1949
Branislav MITROVIĆ
1949
Neđeljko MUGOŠA
1964
Novak RADONJIĆ
1947
Veselin RADULOVIĆ
1969
Radovan VUKOVIĆ
1946
Svetozar BEŠOVIĆ
1959
Jadranka MEDOJEVIĆ
1965
Vesna RAKČEVIĆ
1956
Esad RAMOVIĆ
1957
Vlado ŠOFRANAC
1965
Žarko MUGOŠA
1949
Stanka NOVAKOVIĆ
1952
Bojan VUKOVIĆ
1980
Milorad BEČANOVIĆ
1950
Miladin ĆUPIĆ
1950
Džemalj ĐOKOVIĆ
1950
Dušanka MAŠKOVIĆ
1954
Safet ASANOVIĆ
1965
Snežana MIROTIĆ
1958
Miodrag RADUNOVIĆ
1959
Veselin KLIKOVAC
1953
Nenad RADINOVIĆ
1965
Novka RADULOVIĆ
1958
Božidar TATAR
1953
Ferid ĆOSOVIĆ
1950
Veselin KAŽIĆ
1955
Slađana KOVAČEVIĆ
1968
Mara MINIĆ
1959
Faid PIROVIĆ
1952
Anđelko POPOVIĆ
1953
Milenko JOVANOVIĆ
1949
Radmila LAMBULIĆ
1949
Momir BEČANOVIĆ
1960
Đerđ ĐOKIĆ
1951
Radovan LUTOVAC
1963
Matija MIĆKOVIĆ
1994
Svetlana ČOLEVIĆ
1963
Melvida DECOVIĆ
1957
Isljam ĐOKOVIĆ
1956
Ljiljana MILUTINOVIĆ
1956
Veliša POPOVIĆ
1949
Brahim ĐOKIĆ
1958
Halil HAKŠABANOVIĆ
1960
Zorica PUPOVIĆ
1950
Milovan STOJANOVIĆ
1951
Mihailo VUJOVIĆ
1956
Mirko MARUNOVIĆ
1942
Slavko RADIČKOVIĆ
1951
Frano VULJAJ
1954
Dejan BOLJEVIĆ
1960
Milić ĐURIŠIĆ
1961
Elmedin HADŽIMUHOVIĆ
1960
Novelja JELIĆ
1963
Stjefan LJAJČAJ
1964
Mustafa OSMANAGIĆ
1957
Sanja PAJOVIĆ
1966
Slobodan RADULOVIĆ
1948
Miloš RAIČEVIĆ
1947
Mihailo RAKOČEVIĆ
1958
Božidar RAŠOVIĆ
1952
Zoran VUKAŠEVIĆ
1949
Sonja SEKULIĆ
1953
Slavko STOJANOVIĆ
1955
Boris JOVIĆEVIĆ
1976
Đuro POPOVIĆ
1948
Milanka ŠĆEPANOVIĆ
1959
Slobodan VUKČEVIĆ
1944
Zorka ZINDOVIĆ
1948
Jelena BABIĆ
1951
Zoran JANKOVIĆ
1965
Stanuša ŠUKOVIĆ
1959
Vukica KANDIĆ
1954
Nikola ŠOŠKIĆ
1955
Ljubo TERZIĆ
1953
Milorad KOMNENIĆ
1987
Milan RADULOVIĆ
1949
Ranko VUKČEVIĆ
1958
Vladimir BOŽOVIĆ
1950
Radislav KUKOVIĆ
1962
Radoslav PEJOVIĆ
1953
Goran RADULOVIĆ
1964
Žarko SAVOVIĆ
1957
Blagota VUKOSLAVOVIĆ
1952
Milosav BJELOGRLIĆ
1954
Vesna BOŽOVIĆ
1956
Vučeta MARKOVIĆ
1952
Velizar SEKULOVIĆ
1948
Veselin ASANOVIĆ
1967
Velimir KAPETANOVIĆ
1946
Blago KRSTOVIĆ
1949
Jugoslav MAŠKOVIĆ
1961
Goranka MIJAILOVIĆ
1969
Milijana VUKČEVIĆ
1961
Goran DEDIĆ
1958
Radmila LAKOVIĆ
1967
Nataša LEKOVIĆ
1965
Jovanka LUTOVAC
1956
Svetislav MARAŠ
1965
Vesko ŠĆEKIĆ
1961
Željko VUKČEVIĆ
1966
Dragan BURZANOVIĆ
1955
Nikola GOJČEVIĆ
1954
Čedo KOJOVIĆ
1959
Dušanka LALEVIĆ
1949
Nataša NIKOLIĆ
1963
Žarko PETROVIĆ
1961
Spasoje RADINOVIĆ
1965
Miloš VUKAŠINOVIĆ
1950
Goran BOLJEVIĆ
1961
Ljubomir BORIČIĆ
1965
Zoran KALUĐEROVIĆ
1957
Milorad STOŽINIĆ
1951
Darko JOLIĆ
1966
Savo RADULOVIĆ
1947
Milivoje BRNOVIĆ
1963
Rajko IVANOVIĆ
1956
Household
Biljana BIGOVIC
1966
Ivana BIGOVIĆ
1976
Marija BIGOVIĆ
1980
Vesna BIGOVIĆ
1962
Nikola BIGOVIĆ
2003
Marko BIGOVIĆ
1984
Household
Mihajlo BULATOVIĆ
1981
Ivan BULATOVIĆ
1979
Household
Igor BULATOVIĆ
1987
Nikola BULATOVIĆ
1985
Household
Mladen GLOBAREVIĆ
1988
Miroslav GLOBAREVIĆ
1976
Miroljub GLOBAREVIĆ
1980
Household
Darinka DELIBAŠIĆ
1954
Gojko PEROVIĆ
1956
Household
Miloš MILOŠEVIĆ
1975
Boris MILOŠEVIĆ
1979
Household
Slađana ŠĆEPANOVIĆ
1997
Boris ŠĆEPANOVIĆ
2001
Household
Milan VUJISIĆ
1982
Ivana ZEČEVIĆ
1985
Marijana ĆULAFIĆ
1980
Household
Valentina VUKOSLAVOVIĆ JAĆIMOVIĆ
1983
Mirjana VUKOSLAVOVIĆ
1959
Household
Zorana POPIVODA
1997
Miodrag POPIVODA
1994
Gordana POPIVODA
1962
Jelena POPIVODA
1975
Lana POPIVODA
1999
Prelević Dragan
Podgorica
Commercial Court of Montenegro
16/10/2017
Commercial Court of Montenegro 28/11/2017
16/10/2017
28/11/2017
pending
more than 6 years, 4 months and 4 days
pending
more than 6 years, 2 months and 23 days
250
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.