FIFTH SECTION
CASE OF POLITUN AND OTHERS v. UKRAINE
(Applications nos. 7037/23 and 13 others –
see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
23 January 2025
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Politun and Others v. Ukraine,
The European Court of Human Rights (Fifth Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Diana Sârcu, President,
Kateřina Šimáčková,
Mykola Gnatovskyy, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 19 December 2024,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
PROCEDURE
1. The case originated in applications against Ukraine 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 Ukrainian 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.
THE LAW
JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS4. 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 ARTICLES 3 AND 13 OF THE CONVENTION5. The applicants complained principally of the inadequate conditions of their detention during the periods indicated in the appended table and about the lack of an effective remedy in this connection. They relied on Articles 3 and 13 of the Convention.
6. 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).
7. In the leading cases of Melnik v. Ukraine (no. 72286/01, 28 March 2006) and Sukachov v. Ukraine (no. 14057/17, 30 January 2020), the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.
8. The Court observes in the present case that, even deducting the in-cell sanitary facility from the overall surface area of the cell, the applicants disposed of more than 4 sq. m of personal space, including the space occupied by furniture (see the calculation methodology in Muršić, cited above, §114). However, other aspects of physical conditions of detention remain relevant for the Court’s assessment of the adequacy of an applicant’s conditions of detention under Article 3 of the Convention (see Muršić, cited above, § 140, Canali v. France, no. 40119/09, § 51-53, 25 April 2013, Necula v. Romania, no. 33003/11, §§ 55-60, 18 February 2014, and, for example, Bușcu v. Romania [Committee], no. 73352/14, § 39, 20 April 2021). In this regard, the Court notes that the majority of the applicants’ grievances have not been adequately addressed by the Government. Primary evidence (including, where appropriate, photographs) related to the material conditions of detention complained of by the applicants, such as air quality, food and water quality, pest control, temperature and luminosity measurements, bathing facilities, privacy of toilet, laundry services, etc., have either not been provided or pertain to other cells or periods well before or after the applicants’ detention. Therefore, even if no issue arises with regard to the personal living space, the length of the applicants’ detention and the combined effect of the conditions they faced while being locked in their cells for up to twenty-three hours per day trigger the application of Article 3 of the Convention.
9. 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. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the applicants’ conditions of detention during the periods indicated in the appended table were inadequate.
10. The Court further notes that the applicants did not have at their disposal an effective remedy in respect of these complaints.
11. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Articles 3 and 13 of the Convention.
REMAINING COMPLAINTS12. Some applicants also raised other complaints under Articles 3 and 13 of the Convention.
13. The Court has examined these complaints 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 CONVENTION14. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Sukachov, cited above, §§ 165 and 167), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,
Decides to join the applications;Declares the complaints concerning the inadequate conditions of detention, during the periods indicated in the appended table, and about the lack of any effective remedy in domestic law admissible, and the remainder of the applications inadmissible;Holds that these complaints disclose a breach of Articles 3 and 13 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention during the periods indicated in the appended table and the lack of any effective remedy in domestic law;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 23 January 2025, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Viktoriya Maradudina Diana Sârcu
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Articles 3 and 13 of the Convention
(inadequate conditions of detention and lack of any effective remedy in domestic law)
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]
7037/23
14/01/2023
Ruslan Volodymyrovych POLITUN
1976
Rybiy Sergiy Mykolayovych
Dnipro
Vinnytsya Detention Facility
06/07/2022
pending
More than 2 years and 4 months and 28 days
4 – 6.7 m²
Inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of toiletries, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to potable water, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, passive smoking, poor quality of food.
5,600
9995/23
08/02/2023
Oleksandr Petrovych PANASYUK
1968
Rybiy Sergiy Mykolayovych
Dnipro
Vinnytsya Detention Facility
23/11/2022
pending
More than 2 years and 11 days
4 m²
Lack of fresh air, passive smoking, inadequate temperature, bunk beds, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of privacy for toilet, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of toiletries, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, poor quality of food, poor quality of potable water, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to potable water, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air.
5,000
10254/23
07/02/2022
Mykola Mykolayovych SOLTUS
1974
Rybiy Sergiy Mykolayovych
Dnipro
Ladyzhyn Detention Facility no. 39
28/10/2022
pending
More than 2 years and 1 months and 6 days
4.1 m²
Lack of fresh air, lack of toiletries, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, poor quality of food, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient natural light, poor quality of potable water, passive smoking, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of requisite medical assistance, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of privacy for toilet, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to potable water, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air.
5,200
10378/23
07/02/2023
Dmytro Sergiyovych SAFONOV
1995
Rybiy
Sergiy Mykolayovych
Dnipro
Ladyzhyn Detention Facility no. 39
28/10/2022 to
08/02/2023
3 months and 12 days
Ladyzhyn Detention Facility no. 39
21/02/2023
pending
More than 1 year and 9 months and 13 days
4.34 m²
4.34 m²
Lack of fresh air, lack of toiletries, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient natural light, no or restricted access to warm water, poor quality of potable water, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of requisite medical assistance, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air.
Lack of fresh air, lack of toiletries, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient natural light, no or restricted access to warm water, poor quality of potable water, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of requisite medical assistance, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air.
5,000
11109/23
13/02/2023
Andriy Volodymyrovych POPOV
1981
Rybiy
Sergiy Mykolayovych
Dnipro
Zamkova Detention Facility no. 58
25/11/2020
pending
More than 4 years and 9 days
4.2 m²
Inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of toiletries, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to potable water, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, passive smoking, poor quality of food.
7,500
11113/23
13/02/2023
Oleksandr Valeriyovych SLESAREV
1980
Rybiy
Sergiy Mykolayovych
Dnipro
Zamkova Detention Facility no. 58
12/04/2022
pending
More than 2 years and 7 months and 22 days
4.2 m²
Inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of toiletries, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to potable water, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, passive smoking, poor quality of food.
6,100
15957/23
29/03/2023
Viktor Oleksandrovych SOLOMKA
1985
Rybiy Sergiy Mykolayovych
Dnipro
Kryvyy Rig Detention Facility no. 3
16/02/2022
pending
More than 2 years and 9 months and 18 days
4.4 m²
Lack of fresh air, passive smoking, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, inadequate temperature, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of toiletries, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to potable water, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack of requisite medical assistance, no or restricted access to running water, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities.
6,400
18431/23
18/04/2023
Ivan
Ivanovych MALANCHUK
1980
Rybiy Sergiy Mykolayovych
Dnipro
Horodyshche Detention Facility
28/12/2006
pending
More than
17 years and 11 months and 6 days
4.3 m²
Lack of fresh air, inadequate temperature, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of toiletries, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient natural light, no or restricted access to warm water.
7,500
22906/23
16/05/2023
Oleksandr Sergiyovych TARASOV
1986
Pustyntsev Andriy Vitaliyovych
Dnipro
Zhytomyr Detention Facility no. 8
17/02/2022
pending
More than 2 years and 9 months and 18 days
4.19 m²
Lack of fresh air, passive smoking, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of toiletries, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, no or restricted access to shower, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or insufficient natural light, inadequate temperature.
6,400
22952/23
16/05/2023
Yevgen Viktorovych BILYTSKYY
1987
Pustyntsev Andriy Vitaliyovych
Dnipro
Zhytomyr Detention Facility no. 8
21/04/2022
pending
More than 2 years and 7 months and 14 days
4.19 m²
Lack of fresh air, passive smoking, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of toiletries, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or insufficient natural light, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to warm water.
6,100
25847/23
02/06/2023
Oleksandr Vyacheslavovych ALEKSYEYENKO
1987
Rybiy Sergiy Mykolayovych
Dnipro
Zamkova Detention Facility no. 58
09/12/2022
pending
More than 1 year and 11 months and 25 days
4.25 m²
Inadequate temperature, 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 of requisite medical assistance, lack of toiletries, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, passive smoking.
4,900
31850/23
04/08/2023
Mykola
Pavlovych SERVETNYK
1967
Voronyuk Kateryna Yuriyivna
Rivne
Vinnytsya Detention Facility no. 1
14/12/2020
pending
More than 3 years and 11 months and 20 days
4 m²
Inadequate temperature, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of toiletries, no or restricted access to warm water, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient natural light, passive smoking.
7,500
36173/23
19/09/2023
Volodymyr Ivanovych PANASENKO
1959
Panasenko Tatyana Vladimirovna
Lviv
Vinnytsya Detention Facility no. 1
19/11/2021 to
24/05/2023
1 year and
6 months and
6 days
5.2 m²
Mouldy or dirty cell, lack of fresh air, inadequate temperature, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient electric light, no or restricted access to potable water, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of requisite medical assistance, passive smoking, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of toiletries, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, poor quality of food, absence of sanitary protection measures during COVID-19 pandemic, sharing cells with inmates infected with contagious disease.
4,100
13182/24
23/04/2024
Igor
Mykolayovych TYVONCHUK
1971
Rybiy Sergiy Mykolayovych
Dnipro
Mena Detention Facility no. 91
20/11/2023 to
28/12/2023
1 month and 9 days
Mena Detention Facility no. 91
19/03/2024 to
23/04/2024
1 month and 5 days
< 4 m²
< 4 m²
Overcrowding, lack of fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of toiletries, no or restricted access to potable water, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, poor quality of food, poor quality of potable water, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, mouldy or dirty cell.
Overcrowding, lack of fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of toiletries, no or restricted access to potable water, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, poor quality of food, poor quality of potable water, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, mouldy or dirty cell.
1,100
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.