FOURTH SECTION
CASE OF DIȚĂ AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA
(Application no. 23712/16 and 18 others –
see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
13 January 2022
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Diță and Others v. Romania,
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Armen Harutyunyan, President,
Jolien Schukking,
Ana Maria Guerra Martins, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 9 December 2021,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
PROCEDURE
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
JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS5. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.
ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF THE CONVENTION6. The applicants complained principally of the inadequate conditions of their detention. 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, §§ 96‑101, 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).
8. 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.
9. Having examined all the material submitted to it and the arguments raised by the parties, including the Government’s objection related to the non‑exhaustion of domestic remedies, 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 recent 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 table appended below, were inadequate.
10. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention.
REMAINING COMPLAINTS11. In applications nos. 23712/16, 27236/16, 42903/16, 46462/17, 47340/17 and 74892/17 the applicants also raised other complaints under Article 3 of the Convention.
12. The Court has examined the applications listed in the appended table 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.
It follows that this part of the applications must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 § 4 of the Convention.
APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION13. 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.”
14. 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.
15. 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,
Decides to join the applications;Declares the complaints concerning the inadequate conditions of detention, as specified in the appended table, admissible, and the remainder of the applications inadmissible;Holds that these complaints disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention;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 13 January 2022, 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)
No.
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
Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant
(in euros)[1]
23712/16
26/05/2016
Sorinel DIȚĂ
1969
Pelendava and Drobeta Turnu Severin Prisons
02/04/2015 to
06/03/2017
1 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 5 day(s)
1.40-2.47 m²
overcrowding, lack or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, inadequate temperature
3,000
27236/16
13/09/2016
Gabriel Florentin CRISTACHE
1979
Irina Maria Peter
Bucharest
Ploiești Prison
08/12/2015 to
28/04/2016
4 month(s) and 21 day(s)
1.52-2.11 m²
overcrowding, bunk beds, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to toilet, poor quality of food, inadequate temperature, poor quality of potable water, lack of fresh air
1,000
27304/16
01/06/2016
Florin IRIMIA
1983
Tulcea and Poarta Albă Prisons
04/10/2007 to
15/03/2017
9 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 12 day(s)
1.35-1.76 m²
overcrowding (save for 12-14/05/2008), bunk beds, lack of fresh air, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to warm water, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or insufficient natural light, poor quality of food, infestation of cell with insects/rodents
5,000
30328/16
24/06/2016
Dănuț MIHĂILĂ
1969
Irina Maria Peter
Bucharest
Argeș County Police Station, Galați, Colibași, Rahova, Giurgiu and Jilava Prisons, Colibași and Jilava Prison Hospitals
12/06/2008 to
31/05/2016
7 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 20 day(s)
1.34-2.44 m²
overcrowding (save for 26/07/2013-14/08/2013, 3-5/12/2013, 5-12/06/2014 and 11-18/07/2015), bunk beds, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to toilet, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to shower
5,000
38458/16
31/08/2016
Marian SCARLAT
1987
Irina Maria Peter
Bucharest
Alexandria Central Arrest, Rahova and Giurgiu Prisons
15/06/2009 to
12/01/2017
7 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 29 day(s)
2.66 m²
overcrowding (save for Giurgiu Prison and for 11/06/2010-18/10/2010), bunk beds, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to shower
5,000
38531/16
02/08/2016
Mihai-Silviu CRUDU
1988
Iași and Botoșani Prisons
26/08/2014 to
08/09/2016
2 year(s) and 14 day(s)
Iași Prison
24/10/2016 to
26/07/2017
9 month(s) and 3 day(s)
1.28-2.52 m²
2.52 m2
overcrowding, bunk beds, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to warm water
3,000
42903/16
03/01/2017
Marian-Cristian MUT
1994
Vasile Rareş Biro
Satu Mare
Oradea and Satu Mare Prisons
04/05/2016 to
25/10/2016
5 month(s) and 22 day(s)
1.6-1.8 m²
overcrowding, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack or inadequate furniture, lack or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to toilet, constant electric light, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air
1,000
7560/17
30/12/2016
Mihai LINGURAR
1959
Cezara-Maria
Nichita-Costescu Timișoara
Arad County Police, Arad and Timişoara Prisons
21/10/2012 to
12/01/2017
4 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 23 day(s)
Timișoara Prison
27/02/2017 to
13/09/2017
6 month(s) and 18 day(s)
2-2.40 m²
2 m2
overcrowding (save for Arad Prison), bunk beds, constant electric light, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell
3,000
12424/17
06/03/2017
Gabriel CÎRCIUMARU
1982
Camelia Cîrciumaru
Craiova
Craiova and Pelendava Prisons
25/10/2016 to
19/09/2017
10 month(s) and 26 day(s)
1.30-2.19 m²
overcrowding, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to shower
1,000
20434/17
21/04/2017
Ionel OPREA
1983
Irina Maria Peter
Bucharest
Rahova, Jilava and Focşani Prisons
18/06/2016 to
07/06/2017
11 month(s) and 21 day(s)
1.32-2.23 m²
overcrowding (save for 9-10/06/2016), bunk beds, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of toiletries, lack or insufficient quantity of food, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to toilet, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of fresh air, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell
1,000
22064/17
12/04/2017
István IRIMIAS
1976
Oradea, Târgu-Mureş, Aiud, Arad, Gherla, Miercurea Ciuc and Bistriţa, Prisons, Dej and Rahova Prison Hospitals
04/06/2008 to
10/10/2017
9 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 7 day(s)
1.20-2.76 m²
overcrowding (save for Dej and Rahova Prison Hospitals and Arad Prison and 7-10/07/2008), bunk beds, constant electric light, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to warm water, poor quality of food
5,000
34942/17
13/09/2017
Viorel TIMOCE
1959
Claudia Nadina Daciana Cândea
Timișoara
Arad and Timişoara Prisons
05/08/2016 to
30/05/2017
8 month(s) and 29 day(s)
Timișoara Prison
19/06/2017 to
01/08/2017
1 month(s) and 14 day(s)
2-2.33 m²
2 m2
overcrowding (save for Arad Prison), bunk beds, inadequate temperature, constant electric light, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to shower, poor quality of food
1,000
42249/17
23/05/2017
Andrei-Petru RUSANDA
1983
Claudia Nadina Daciana Cândea
Timișoara
Timişoara Prison
20/09/2016 to
05/04/2017
6 month(s) and 17 day(s)
1.83-2.25 m²
overcrowding, bunk beds, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to toilet
1,000
46462/17
14/06/2017
Virgil-Roman LUNGU
1973
Andreea-Gabriela
Cadar
Galați
Poarta Albă Prison
10/11/2015 to
28/12/2016
1 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 19 day(s)
1.65-2.46 m²
overcrowding (save for 10-16/11/2015), bunk beds, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to toilet
3,000
46610/17
26/06/2017
Ionuț TOADER
1991
Andreea-Gabriela
Cadar
Galați
Slobozia, Jilava and Poarta Albă Prisons
02/10/2015 to
13/02/2017
1 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 12 day(s)
1.3-2.79 m²
overcrowding, bunk beds, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to warm water
3,000
47340/17
26/06/2017
Vasile-Nicolae DUMITRU
1981
Andreea-Gabriela
Cadar
Galați
Tulcea and Poarta Albă Prisons
21/03/2016 to
13/05/2017
1 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 23 day(s)
1.36-2.88 m²
overcrowding, bunk beds, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to toilet
3,000
69575/17
13/09/2017
Remus-Ștefan-Ionel VAVA
1989
Claudia Nadina Daciana Cândea
Timișoara
Timişoara Prison
09/11/2016 to
11/07/2017
8 month(s) and 3 day(s)
1.66-2 m²
overcrowding, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, inadequate temperature, no or restricted access to warm water, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food
1,000
71103/17
21/02/2018
Toader ILIESI
1969
Botoşani and Iaşi Prisons
17/03/2015 to
18/10/2017
2 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 2 day(s)
1.28-1.9 m²
overcrowding, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, inadequate temperature, lack of privacy for toilet, mouldy or dirty cell
3,000
74892/17
12/10/2017
Marcel CUIBUS
1962
Vasile Rareş Biro
Satu Mare
Gherla and Baia Mare Prisons
12/11/2015 to
12/04/2017
1 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 1 day(s)
2-2.40 m²
overcrowding, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of fresh air, lack or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or insufficient natural light, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen
3,000
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.