SECOND SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 20509/25
Norbert RÁCZ against Hungary
and 9 other applications
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section), sitting on 12 March 2026 as a Committee composed of:
Stéphane Pisani, President,
Juha Lavapuro,
Hugh Mercer, judges,
and Attila Teplán, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above applications against Hungary 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,
Having regard to the formal declarations accepting a friendly settlement of the cases,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDUREThe list of applicants and their representatives is set out in the appended table.
The applicants’ complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention concerning the excessive length of criminal proceedings were communicated to the Hungarian Government (“the Government”). In some of the applications, complaints based on the same facts were also communicated under other provisions of the Convention.
The Court received friendly-settlement declarations, signed by the parties, under which the applicants agreed to waive any further claims against Hungary in respect of the facts giving rise to these applications, subject to an undertaking by the Government to pay them the amounts detailed in the appended table. These amounts will be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable on the date of payment, and will be payable within three months from the date of notification of the Court’s decision. In the event of failure to pay these amounts within the above‑mentioned three-month period, the Government undertake to pay simple interest on them, from the 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 cases.
THE LAWHaving regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.
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 the Protocols thereto and finds no reasons to justify a continued examination of the applications.
In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the cases out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to join the applications;
Decides to strike the applications out of its list of cases in accordance with Article 39 of the Convention.
Done in English and notified in writing on 2 April 2026.
Attila Teplán Stéphane Pisani
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention
(excessive length of criminal proceedings)
No.
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Year of birth
Representative’s name and location
Other complaints under well‑established case-law
Date of receipt of Government’s declaration
Date of receipt of Applicant’s declaration
Amount awarded for pecuniary and non‑pecuniary damage and costs and expenses
per applicant
(in euros)[1]
20509/25
26/06/2025
Norbert RÁCZ
2001
Szabó Gábor
Göd
Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of criminal proceedings
03/02/2026
15/10/2025
3,300
22248/25
11/07/2025
Szabolcs PÁLDI
1986
Szabó Gábor
Göd
Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of criminal proceedings
04/02/2026
16/01/2026
2,600
23206/25
23/07/2025
Norbert KOVÁCS
1988
Kiss Dániel Bálint
Budapest
Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of criminal proceedings
09/02/2026
26/11/2025
1,700
25233/25
04/08/2025
Tamás PEREGI
1982
Kiss Dániel Bálint
Budapest
Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of criminal proceedings
09/02/2026
01/12/2025
2,600
25239/25
05/08/2025
György MENDI
2001
Kiss Dániel Bálint
Budapest
Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of criminal proceedings
04/02/2026
06/01/2026
3,300
25420/25
08/08/2025
Zoltán Béla MÉHI
1989
Kiss Dalma
Budapest
04/02/2026
22/01/2026
3,600
25428/25
12/08/2025
Aladár VIDÁK
1985
Csanádi Krisztián
Szeged
04/02/2026
28/11/2025
2,300
26330/25
12/08/2025
Attila LAKATOS
1966
Szabó Gábor
Göd
Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of criminal proceedings
04/02/2026
06/02/2026
2,600
27813/25
30/08/2025
Jenő RÁCZ-FODOR
1954
04/02/2026
05/02/2026
6,800
29099/25
10/09/2025
Gusztáv RÉZMŰVES
1967
Kiss Dániel Bálint
Budapest
Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of criminal proceedings
04/02/2026
15/01/2026
3,300
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.