Communicated on 16 December 2014
THIRD SECTION
Application no. 26841/14
Constantin IONAŞCU
against Romania
lodged on 28 April 2014
STATEMENT OF FACTS
The applicant, Mr Constantin Ionaşcu, is a Romanian national, who was born in 1982 and is currently detained in Iaşi Prison.
The facts of the case, as submitted by the applicant, may be summarised as follows.
On 7 July 2003 the applicant was convicted for robbery and sentenced to eighteen years imprisonment.
Throughout his detention, starting with 2004 until present, the applicant was held in Iaşi, Jilava, Botoşani, Vaslui and Tulcea Prisons.
The applicant alleges that the conditions of detention had been inhuman in all the above-mentioned prisons. He alleges that he was constantly held in severe overcrowding such that in Iaşi and Botoşani Prisons he had to share the bed with one or even two other prisoners. Between 2006 and 2008, when he was detained in Jilava Prison, the drinking water was infested and had a bad smell. He further describes that in all prisons he was held in very poor hygiene conditions, in cells full of mice, lice, cockroaches and bedbugs. The food was of very poor quality and altered most of the time.
Lastly, the applicant alleges that on 12 December 2002 when was placed in pre-trial detention he was found to be in good health, as provided in the medical chart for persons placed in detention filled in on that date. According to a medical certificate issued by the prison doctor in 2011, the applicant was suffering from active chronic hepatitis C.
COMPLAINT
The applicant complains under Article 3 of the Convention about the inhuman conditions of his detention in Iaşi, Jilava, Botoşani, Vaslui and Tulcea Prisons. More specifically, he complains of severe overcrowding having to share his bed with other prisoners, a lack of hygiene his cells being full of mice, lice, cockroaches and bedbugs, the poor quality of food in all prisons as well as the fact that the drinking water was infested and had a bad smell in Jilava Prison. The applicant further complains under the same Article that due to the extreme overcrowding, the lack of hygiene and the presence of parasites he contracted hepatitis C.
QUESTION TO THE PARTIES
Has the applicant been subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment, in breach of Article 3 of the Convention, on account of the conditions of his detention in Iaşi, Jilava, Botoşani, Vaslui and Tulcea Prisons as well as his infection with hepatitis?
The Government are invited to submit information concerning the conditions of the applicant’s detention in Iaşi, Jilava, Botoşani, Vaslui and Tulcea Prisons, in particular as regards the alleged overcrowding, poor hygiene and poor quality of food and drinking water. The Government are also invited to submit details concerning the relevant measures taken by the prison authorities for the prevention of transmissible diseases such as hepatitis C.
Full & Egal Universal Law Academy