FOURTH SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 6484/08
by Wiesław KUŹLAK
against Poland
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 8 March 2011 as a Chamber composed of:
Nicolas Bratza, President,
Lech Garlicki,
Ljiljana Mijović,
Sverre Erik Jebens,
Päivi Hirvelä,
Ledi Bianku,
Zdravka Kalaydjieva, judges,
and Fatoş Aracı, Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above application lodged on 29 January 2008,
Having regard to the formal declarations accepting a friendly settlement of the case,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
PROCEDURE
The applicant, Mr Wiesław Kuźlak, is a Polish national who was born in 1958 and is currently detained in Wronki Prison. The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr J. Wołąsiewicz of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On 27 August 2009 the President of the Fourth Section decided to communicate the applicant’s complaint under Article 3 of the Convention, in so far as it concerned overcrowding and the overall living conditions in Bydgoszcz, Wroclaw, Katowice, Bydgoszcz-Fordon and Kluczbork detention facilities from 1987 until recently in view of the applicant’s special needs (the applicant is blind).
THE LAW
On 17 January 2011 the Court received the following declaration from the Government:
“I, Jakub Wołąsiewicz, Agent of the Government, declare that the Government of Poland (1) undertake to secure at the earliest possible date adequate conditions of the applicant’s detention in a facility adapted for special needs prisoners, and (2) offer to pay, to Mr Wiesław Kuźlak, with a view to securing a friendly settlement of the above-mentioned case pending before the European Court of Human Rights, PLN 30,000 (thirty thousand Polish zlotys), plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicant. The payment is intended to provide the applicant with redress for the systemic violation of Article 3 of the Convention, as identified by the Court in the pilot judgment given in the case of Orchowski v. Poland (no. 17885/04) on 22 October 2009 (see paragraphs 135 and 147 et seq.), in particular, on account of overcrowding and the overall conditions of the applicant’s detention which were not adapted to his special needs.
This sum will be payable within three months from the date of notification of the decision by the Court pursuant to Article 37 § 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In the event of failure to pay this sum within the said three-month period, the Government undertake to pay simple interest on it, from expiry of that period until settlement, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points. The payment will constitute the final resolution of the case.”
On 20 January 2011 the Court received the following declaration signed by the applicant’s lawyer:
“I, Wiesław Kuźlak, note that the Government of Poland are prepared to (1) undertake to secure at the earliest possible date adequate conditions of my detention in a facility adapted for special needs prisoners, and (2) offer to pay me with a view to securing a friendly settlement of the above-mentioned case pending before the European Court of Human Rights, PLN 30,000 (thirty thousand Polish zlotys), plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicant. I further note that the payment constitutes redress for the systemic violation of Article 3 of the Convention on account of the conditions of my detention, as identified by the Court in the pilot judgment given in the case of Orchowski v. Poland (no. 17885/04) on 22 October 2009 (see paragraphs 135 and 147 et seq.), in particular, on account of overcrowding and the overall conditions of my detention which were not adapted to my special needs.
This sum will be payable within three months from the date of notification of the decision by the Court pursuant to Article 37 § 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights. 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.
I accept the proposal and waive any further claims against Poland in respect of the facts giving rise to this application. I declare that this constitutes a final resolution of the case.”
The Court takes note of the friendly settlement reached between the parties. It is satisfied that the settlement is based on respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and its Protocols and finds no reasons to justify a continued examination of the application (Article 37 § 1 in fine of the Convention). In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the case out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court unanimously
Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases.
Fatoş AracıNicolas Bratza
Deputy RegistrarPresident
Full & Egal Universal Law Academy