FOURTH SECTION
CASE OF IULIAN AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA
(Application no. 29349/16 and 19 others –
see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
16 December 2021
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Iulian 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 25 November 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 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 appended table below, were inadequate.
10. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention.
REMAINING COMPLAINTS11. In application no. 9465/17, the applicant also raised other complaints under Article 3 of the Convention.
12. The Court has examined this application 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 application 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, for the periods specified in the appended table, admissible, and the remainder of application no. 9465/17 inadmissible;Holds that these applications 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 16 December 2021, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
{signature_p_2}
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]
29349/16
22/06/2016
Florin IULIAN
1979
Constanța County Police Station; Poarta Albă Prison Hospital; Poarta Albă (including Valu lui Traian), Rahova, Slobozia and Tulcea Prisons
28/03/2011 to
05/10/2016
5 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 8 day(s)
1.32-2.97 m²
overcrowding (save for 28/03/2011-26/04/2011; 06-18/05/2011; 25/06-02/07/2012; 11/07-28/09/2012; 03-19/10/2012; 28/04-06/05/2011; 03-10/06/2013), lack of or insufficient electric light, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack or inadequate furniture, no or restricted access to toilet, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of fresh air, poor quality of food, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to running water, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of privacy for toilet, inadequate temperature, bunk beds, poor quality of potable water
5,000
61630/16
14/12/2016
Mihai-Alexandru COJOCARU
1969
Gorj County Police Station; Târgu Jiu, Craiova and Rahova Prisons
25/09/2008 to
13/12/2016
8 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 19 day(s)
1.02-3 m²
overcrowding, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, no or insufficient disinfection of barbering and haircutting tools, lack of toiletries, mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, constant electric light, bunk beds, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, poor quality of food, insufficient number of sleeping places, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, inadequate temperature
5,000
62607/16
19/10/2016
Alexandru CIOROIANU
1960
Constantin Fuiorea-Drăgan
Târgu Jiu
Gorj County Police Station; Craiova, Rahova, Giurgiu and Târgu Jiu Prisons
22/03/2011 to
28/06/2016
5 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 7 day(s)
1-2.84 m²
overcrowding (save for 22– 28/03/2011), lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to toilet, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, no or restricted access to running water, bunk beds, mouldy or dirty cell, insufficient number of sleeping places, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of toiletries, inadequate temperature, poor quality of potable water, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities
5,000
78205/16
04/02/2017
Lucian GĂINĂ
1985
Irina Maria Peter
Bucharest
Bucharest Central Arrest; Rahova, Jilava and Găești Prisons
26/05/2014 to
10/09/2016
2 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 16 day(s)
1.35-2.79 m²
overcrowding (save for 20/10/2014-18/02/2015; 10/06-03/07/2015), lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of toiletries, bunk beds, mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, inadequate temperature, lack of fresh air, no or restricted access to running water, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, poor quality of potable water
3,000
79399/16
02/02/2017
Ionuț-Alexandru CONSTANTIN
1985
Bucharest Central Arrest; Jilava, Giurgiu, Mărgineni, Miercurea Ciuc, Târgu Jiu and Ploiești Prisons
02/01/2005 to
13/10/2017
12 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 12 day(s)
1.07-2.87 m²
overcrowding (save for 26/05-07/06/2016), bunk beds, insufficient number of sleeping places, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, poor quality of food, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of potable water, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, inadequate temperature, no or restricted access to running water
5,000
79507/16
07/03/2017
Constantin BUCIOVEANU
1973
Bucharest Police Detention Facility no. 8 and Rahova, Găești and Jilava Prisons
20/12/2012 to
14/09/2016
3 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 26 day(s)
1.19-2.73 m²
overcrowding (save for 20/12/2012-08/01/2013; 01-31/07/2013), lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, inadequate temperature, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to potable water, lack of privacy for toilet, infestation of cell with insects/rodents
3,000
425/17
25/01/2017
Aleksandar TSONEV
1980
Peter Irina Maria
Bucharest
Bucharest Police Detention Facility no. 3; Giurgiu, Jilava, Rahova and Găești Prisons
04/06/2010 to
21/09/2016
6 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 18 day(s)
1.10-2.92 m²
overcrowding (save for 19/10/2015-15/09/2016), bunk beds, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of privacy for toilet, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, inadequate temperature, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or insufficient natural light, poor quality of food, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, no or restricted access to running water, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to warm water, poor quality of potable water, no or restricted access to shower
5,000
846/17
20/01/2017
Cătălin-Iulian ŞERBAN
1980
Bucharest Central Arrest; Rahova, Jilava, Giurgiu, Mărgineni and Găești Prisons
30/06/2009 to
30/08/2017
8 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 1 day(s)
1.02-2.86 m²
overcrowding (save for 06-10/08/2009; 17/10-09/11/2016), infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of privacy for toilet, no or restricted access to warm water, mouldy or dirty cell, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient electric light, poor quality of food, lack of toiletries, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, no or restricted access to running water, no or restricted access to potable water, no or restricted access to toilet, inadequate temperature, poor quality of potable water, no or insufficient disinfection of barbering and haircutting tools, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack or insufficient quantity of food
5,000
4540/17
03/01/2017
Ovidiu NAGY
1992
Vasile Rareş Biro
Satu Mare
Satu Mare County Police Station; Oradea, Târgu Mureș and Satu Mare Prisons
05/08/2011 to
19/07/2016
4 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 15 day(s)
1.17-2.76 m²
overcrowding (save for 13/02-01/03/2012), bunk beds, no or restricted access to toilet, lack of fresh air, lack or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, no or restricted access to shower, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to warm water, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air
3,000
4547/17
03/01/2017
Lucian-Cristian DOBOEȘ
1985
Vasile Rareş Biro
Satu Mare
Maramureș County Police Station; Baia Mare, Gherla and Rahova Prisons
12/05/2011 to
20/12/2016
5 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 9 day(s)
1.17-2.73 m²
overcrowding (save for 12-16/05/2011), inadequate temperature, lack or inadequate furniture, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to toilet, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient natural light, bunk beds, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of potable water, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities
5,000
5191/17
06/01/2017
Gheorghe Aurelian MARIAN
1981
Vasile Rareş Biro
Satu Mare
Oradea, Satu Mare Prisons
24/12/2015 to
07/06/2017
1 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 15 day(s)
1.3-2.37 m²
overcrowding, bunk beds, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to warm water, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or insufficient natural light, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of fresh air, constant electric light, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities
3,000
5364/17
06/02/2017
Tiberiu FEIER
1987
Cluj County Police Station; Gherla, Oradea and Bistrița Prisons
12/04/2013 to
22/03/2017
3 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 11 day(s)
1.56-2.88 m²
overcrowding (save for 07-27/10/2015), lack of fresh air, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to toilet, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, infestation of cell with insects/rodents
3,000
5368/17
23/02/2017
Dan-Ioan CILEAN
1981
Bistrița Prison
21/06/2016 to
13/06/2017
11 month(s) and 24 day(s)
2.17-2.35 m²
overcrowding, bunk beds, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities
1,000
6084/17
14/02/2017
Vlad-Andrei VLONGA
1981
Irina Maria Peter
Bucharest
Bucharest Police Detention Facility no. 9; Rahova, Mioveni (Colibași) and Jilava Prisons
16/06/2011 to
17/01/2017
5 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 2 day(s)
1.24-2.98 m²
overcrowding, bunk beds, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, lack of privacy for toilet, lack or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, no or restricted access to running water, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to shower, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, inadequate temperature, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, poor quality of potable water
5,000
8074/17
06/03/2017
Nelu CERCEL
1964
Slobozia and Poarta Albă Prisons
13/07/2011 to
22/08/2017
6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 10 day(s)
1.38-2.53 m²
overcrowding (save for 22-28/04/2014; 18-21/04/2016), bunk beds, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to warm water, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to shower, lack or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food
5,000
9465/17
10/04/2017
Ionuț-Alexandru LAZĂR
1983
Rahova and Jilava Prisons
05/09/2016 to
23/05/2017
8 month(s), 16 day(s)
1.47-2.44 m²
overcrowding (save for 12-15/05/2017), bunk beds
1,000
10686/17
07/03/2017
Octavian MOTOI
1959
Irina Maria Peter
Bucharest
Rahova, Jilava and Focşani Prisons; Jilava Prison Hospital
16/10/2015 to
26/01/2017
1 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 11 day(s)
1.27-2.38 m²
overcrowding, bunk beds, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food, lack or inadequate furniture, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of potable water, no or restricted access to toilet, shower or running water
3,000
13712/17
21/04/2017
Elena FOTA
1951
Craiova and Târgşor Prisons
08/07/2015 to
31/01/2017
1 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 24 day(s)
0.85-2.74 m²
overcrowding (save for 14/06-05/12/2016), bunk beds, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to shower, lack or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, lack of toiletries
3,000
28966/17
03/04/2017
Rareș CHEBELEU
1989
Nicoleta Iuga
Arad
Arad County Police Station; Arad and Timișoara Prisons
27/06/2015 to
26/10/2016
1 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 30 day(s)
2.25 m²
overcrowding (save for 27/06-17/12/2015), lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, no or restricted access to warm water, no or restricted access to shower, no or restricted access to toilet, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of privacy for toilet, mouldy or dirty cell
3,000
57441/17
31/07/2017
Ioan BÎRSAN
1964
Andreea-Gabriela Cadar
Galați
Mărgineni, Bacău, Botoşani and Poarta Albă Prisons
07/11/2005 to
26/05/2017
11 year(s), 6 month(s), 20 day(s)
0.71-2.5 m²
overcrowding, bunk beds, insufficient number of sleeping places, no or restricted access to running water, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, poor quality of food, mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, inadequate temperature, lack of or insufficient electric light, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of toiletries, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, lack or insufficient quantity of food
5,000
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.