FOURTH SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 33382/21
Ioan-Cristian SUCIU against Romania
and 19 other applications
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 26 March 2026 as a Committee composed of:
Anne Louise Bormann, President,
Sebastian Răduleţu,
András Jakab, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above 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,
Having regard to the observations submitted by the respondent Government and the observations in reply submitted by the applicant,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDUREThe list of applicants is set out in the appended table.
The applicants’ complaints under Article 3 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention were communicated to the Romanian Government (“the Government”).
THE LAW Joinder of the applicationsHaving regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.
Complaints under Article 3 of the Convention (inadequate conditions of detention)Having examined all the material before it, the Court considers that for the reasons stated below, the present applications are inadmissible.
The applicants complained principally of the inadequate conditions of their detention. They relied on Article 3 of the Convention.
The Government argued that the applicants had failed to exhaust the available effective remedies for their complaints about the inadequate conditions of their detention, as the complaint with the judge responsible for supervising the deprivation of liberty (plângerea în fața judecătorului de supraveghere a privării de libertate), provided for by Article 56 of Law no. 254/2013, had become an effective remedy for grievances similar to those of the applicants.
The Court recalls that in Văscăuțanu v. Romania (dec.), no. 10120/23, §§ 47–59, 18 November 2025, it held that the remedy, which consists of lodging a complaint with the judge responsible for supervising the deprivation of liberty (plângerea în fața judecătorului de supraveghere a privării de libertate), provided for by Article 56 of Law no. 254/2013, constituted, as of 6 April 2023, an effective remedy enabling individuals who allege that they are being held in inadequate conditions of detention to put an end to their situation that they denounced as being contrary to Article 3 of the Convention.
In light of all the material in its possession, the Court observes that the applicants, who allege that they are being held in inadequate conditions of detention, did not indicate that they pursued the available remedy before the domestic courts (see Văscăuțanu, cited above, § 65). Therefore, their applications must be dismissed for failure to exhaust domestic remedies.
The Government also invoked other grounds of inadmissibility to argue that the present applications must be rejected.
Since it has already upheld the Government’s objection on the non‑exhaustion of domestic remedies, the Court does not consider it necessary to examine further the other arguments raised by the Government.
In view of the above, the Court finds that the applicants’ complaints concerning the periods set out in the appended table must be rejected for failure to exhaust the domestic remedy laid down in Article 56 of Law no. 254/2013, in accordance with Article 35 §§ 1 and 4 of the Convention.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to join the applications;
Declares the applications inadmissible.
Done in English and notified in writing on 16 April 2026.
Viktoriya Maradudina Anne Louise Bormann
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
Facility
Start and end date
Duration
33382/21
30/07/2021
Ioan-Cristian SUCIU
1984
Timiș County Police Station; Timișoara, Arad, Gherla and Aiud Prisons; Dej Prison Hospital
18/07/2016
pending
More than 9 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 30 day(s)
458/22
25/02/2022
Marian-Gheorghiţă AMARIEI
1977
Miercurea-Ciuc, Aiud and Codlea Prisons
26/02/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 18 day(s)
479/22
20/12/2021
Bogdan ISTRATE
1989
Mioveni Prison
29/09/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 15 day(s)
783/22
14/03/2022
Abdrabou Abdelnaser Ali MOHAMED
1987
Târgoviște Police Station; Mărgineni and Giugiu Prisons
29/04/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 15 day(s)
834/22
23/02/2022
Lucian-Petrişor BADEA
1987
Jilava, Poarta Albă, Mioveni, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Timișoara and Giurgiu Prisons, Poarta Albă Prison Hospital
19/12/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 25 day(s)
1081/22
15/02/2022
Pavel TITTI
1984
Arad, Oradea, Satu-Mare, Aiud, Jilava Prisons
13/03/2018
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 11 month(s)
4062/22
31/12/2021
Petru NICĂI
1981
Drobeta-Turnu Severin and Iaşi Prisons
13/02/2021
pending
More than 5 year(s)
4991/22
16/03/2022
George BĂRBULESCU
1986
Slobozia, Giurgiu, Tulcea Prisons; Jilava Prison Hospital
23/09/2018
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 21 day(s)
5654/22
04/02/2022
Viorel-Gheorghe PÎRVULESCU
1983
Poarta Albă and Slobozia Prisons
23/12/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 21 day(s)
6776/22
03/05/2022
Stefan HAMZA
1985
Oradea, Satu Mare and Baia Mare Prisons
13/12/2018
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 2 month(s)
7114/22
08/03/2022
Nicușor-Dumitru GEORGESCU
1991
Giurgiu and Jilava Prisons
29/03/2012
pending
More than 13 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 15 day(s)
7536/22
05/07/2022
Attila GYÖRFI
1967
Satu Mare County Police Station, Oradea and Arad Prisons
30/11/2018
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 14 day(s)
7793/22
21/04/2022
Anton GIURGIUCULESI
1970
Aiud Prison
22/01/2021
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 22 day(s)
8611/22
18/03/2022
Bobi MEREŞANU
1991
Aiud and Codlea Prisons; Jilava Prison Hospital
16/12/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 1 day(s)
9184/22
25/07/2022
Ovidiu RUSU
1979
Botoșani, Iași, Craiova and Gherla Prisons
13/10/2011
pending
More than 14 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 4 day(s)
9262/22
10/03/2022
Victor CĂLDĂRAR
1989
Sibiu County Police Station; Aiud Prison
25/04/2012 to
23/07/2012
2 month(s) and 29 day(s)
Giurgiu, Târgu Mureş and Deva Prisons
23/12/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 25 day(s)
10966/22
15/03/2022
Constantin CIUTĂ
1972
Craiova, Giurgiu, Arad and Drobeta-Turnu Severin Prisons
19/12/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 29 day(s)
11210/22
18/03/2022
Marius-Daniel CAZACU
1990
Rahova and Jilava Prisons
24/12/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 24 day(s)
11297/22
27/04/2022
Constantin BÎCĂ
1958
Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Craiova Prisons
22/12/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 26 day(s)
12303/22
10/06/2022
Vasyl STOIKA
1990
Oradea Prison
16/08/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 1 day(s)