THIRD SECTION
CASE OF MALTYZOV AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA
(Applications nos. 18089/20 and 17 others –
see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
10 November 2022
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Maltyzov and Others v. Russia,
The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Darian Pavli, President,
Andreas Zünd,
Frédéric Krenc, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 20 October 2022,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
PROCEDURE
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 lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of the prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. They also raised other complaints under the provisions of the Convention.
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 6 § 1 of the Convention6. The applicants complained of the lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of the prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention, which reads as follows:
Article 6 § 1
“In the determination of ... any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled to a fair ... hearing ... by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law.”
7. The relevant principles of the Court’s case-law concerning the requirement of impartiality under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention can be found in the leading case of Karelin v. Russia (no. 926/08, §§ 51-57, 20 September 2016, with further references). In that case the Court assessed the national rules of administrative procedure and concluded that the statutory requirements allowing for the national judicial authorities to consider an administrative offence case which falls within the ambit of Article 6 of the Convention under its criminal limb, in the absence of a prosecuting authority, was incompatible with the principle of objective impartiality set out in Article 6 of the Convention.
8. Having examined all the material submitted to it, including having studied the compliance with the six-month period under Article 35 § 1 of the Convention (see Saakashvili v. Georgia (dec.), nos. 6232/20 and 22394/20, §§ 46-59, 1 March 2022, in which the Court addressed the COVID-related extension of the period in question and concluded that it should be exceptionally considered to have been suspended for three calendar months in total whenever it either started to run or was due to expire at any time between 16 March and 15 June 2020), 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.
9. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention.
OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS UNDER WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW10. The applicants submitted other complaints which also raised issues under the Convention, given the relevant well-established case-law of the Court (see 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 Frumkin v. Russia, no. 74568/12, §§ 81-142, 5 January 2016, as regards disproportionate measures taken by the authorities against organisers and participants of public assemblies, and Tsvetkova and Others v. Russia, nos. 54381/08 and 5 others, §§ 84-138, 10 April 2018, as regards unlawful administrative arrest.
REMAINING COMPLAINTS11. As regards the complaints under Article 6 of the Convention about unfairness of proceedings, submitted by the applicants in applications nos. 18089/20, 18180/20, 18188/20, 18197/20, 18199/20, 18232/20, 18233/20, 18235/20, 19482/20, 19485/20, 20477/20, 26232/20, 26776/20 and 26782/20, the Court, having reached the conclusion about the lack of impartiality of the tribunal under Article 6 of the Convention (see paragraph 9 above), does not consider it necessary to examine them separately.
APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION12. 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.”
13. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Kuratov and Others v. Russia [Committee], nos. 24377/15 and 2 others, 22 October 2019), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.
14. 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 lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of the prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings 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 separately further complaints in applications nos. 18089/20, 18180/20, 18188/20, 18197/20, 18199/20, 18232/20, 18233/20, 18235/20, 19482/20, 19485/20, 20477/20, 26232/20, 26776/20 and 26782/20 about unfair administrative-offence proceedings;Holds that the applications disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention concerning the lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of the prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings;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 appended table); 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 10 November 2022, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Viktoriya Maradudina Darian Pavli
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention
(lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of the prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings)
No.
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Year of birth
Representative’s name and location
Penalty
Date of final domestic decision
Name of court
Other complaints under well-established case-law
Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant
(in euros)[1]
18089/20
30/03/2020
Denis Germanovich MALTYZOV
1991
Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich
Vilnius
fine of
RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 06/11/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and escorting to the police office on 03/08/2019 for the purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence; detention in excess of 3 hours;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 06/11/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18166/20
11/03/2020
Alik Mikhaylovich SHARAPOV
1958
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 18/09/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 03/08/2019 in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 18/09/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18180/20
11/03/2020
Leonid Mikhaylovich MARIN
1977
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 24/09/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 12/06/2019 in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO for participation on 12/06/2019 in Moscow in manifestation in support of Ivan Golunov/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 24/09/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18185/20
11/03/2020
Nikolay Nikolayevich SKOROKHODOV
1991
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 15,000
Moscow City Court on 16/09/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 03/08/2019 in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 15,000/ Moscow City Court on 16/09/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18188/20
11/03/2020
Sergey Dmitriyevich MAKAROV
1994
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 20,000
Moscow City Court on 20/09/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 03/08/2019 in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 20,000/ Moscow City Court on 20/09/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18193/20
11/03/2020
Yelena Aleksandrovna MOZGOVAYA
1987
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 20/09/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 12/06/2019 in excess of
3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO for participation on 12/06/2019 in Moscow in manifestation in support of Ivan Golunov/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 20/09/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18197/20
11/03/2020
Yevgeniy Dmitriyevich SOKOL
1990
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 18/09/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 03/08/2019 in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 18/09/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18199/20
11/03/2020
Dmitriy Aleksandrovich CHULKOV
1989
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 16/12/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 03/08/2019 in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 16/12/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18201/20
11/03/2020
Vladimir Borisovich SAVENKOV
1982
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 20/09/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 03/08/2019 in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 20/09/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18232/20
19/03/2020
Anton Andreyevich TARAKANOV
1981
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 04/10/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and escorting to the police office on 03/08/2019 for the purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence; detention in excess of 3 hours;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 04/10/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18233/20
19/03/2020
Nadezhda Borisovna SUFTINA
1973
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 02/10/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and escorting to the police office on 03/08/2019 for the purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence; detention in excess of 3 hours;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 02/10/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
18235/20
19/03/2020
Georgiy Viktorovich LOBANOV
1992
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 08/10/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 03/08/2019 in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 08/10/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
19482/20
23/03/2020
Nikolay Vladimirovich ZIMIREV
1984
Molokanova Tatyana Valeryevna
Moscow
fine of
RUB 15,000
Moscow City Court on 24/09/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and escorting to the police office on 10/08/2019 for the purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence; detained for more than 3 hours;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 10/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 15,000/ Moscow City Court on 24/09/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
19485/20
16/03/2020
Yuriy Vladimirovich MANOKHIN
1998
Memorial Human Rights Centre
Moscow
fine of
RUB 10,000
Moscow City Court on 16/09/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and escorting to the police office on 03/08/2019 for the purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence; detention in excess of 3 hours;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Moscow City Court on 16/09/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
20477/20
15/04/2020
Aleksey Artemovich GEVORKYAN
1997
Gilmanov Mansur Idrisovich
Podolsk
fine of
RUB 15,000
Moscow City Court on 18/11/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and escorting to the police office on 03/08/2019 for the purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence; detention in excess of 3 hours;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 03/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 15,000/ Moscow City Court on 18/11/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
26232/20
29/03/2020
Oksana Sergeyevna ZAVGORODNYAYA
1987
Gak Irina Vladimirovna
Rostov-on-Don
fine of
RUB 10,000
Rostov Regional Court on 27/09/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - Arrest and detention on 10/08/2019 in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 10/08/2019 in Rostov-on-Don in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 10,000/ Rostov Regional Court on 27/09/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
26776/20
02/04/2020
Albert Radistovich DAVYDOV
1972
Bayturina Svetlana Nikolayevna
Moscow
fine of
RUB 15,000
Moscow City Court on 04/10/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 10/08/2019 for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO for participation on 10/08/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 15,000/ Moscow City Court on 04/10/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
26782/20
02/04/2020
Stanislav Sergeyevich TURUSOV
1990
Bayturina Svetlana Nikolayevna
Moscow
fine of
RUB 15,000
Moscow City Court on 02/10/2019
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - arrest and detention on 27/07/2019 for the sole purpose of drawing the record of administrative offence;
Art. 11 (2) - disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies - Conviction under
article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO for participation on 27/07/2019 in Moscow in manifestation for fair elections to Mosgorduma/ administrative fine of RUB 15,000/ Moscow City Court on 02/10/2019 (appeal decision).
3,900
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.