MATYAS AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA - 37938/17 (Judgment : Article 3 - Prohibition of torture : Fourth Section Committee) [2023] ECHR 130 (09 February 2023)

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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> European Court of Human Rights >> MATYAS AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA - 37938/17 (Judgment : Article 3 - Prohibition of torture : Fourth Section Committee) [2023] ECHR 130 (09 February 2023) URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/2023/130.html Cite as: CE:ECHR:2023:0209JUD003793817, ECLI:CE:ECHR:2023:0209JUD003793817, [2023] ECHR 130

In the case of Matyas and Others v. Romania,

The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:

          Armen Harutyunyan, President,
          Anja Seibert-Fohr,
          Ana Maria Guerra Martins, judges,

and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,

Having deliberated in private on 19 January 2023,

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

I. JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS

5. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.

II. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF THE CONVENTION

6. The applicants complained principally of the inadequate conditions of their detention. They relied on Article 3 of the Convention, which reads as follows:

“No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

7. As regards the admissibility of the applications, the Government raised a preliminary objection concerning loss of victim status by the applicants for certain periods of detention specified in the appended table because they were afforded adequate redress based on Law no. 169/2017 amending and completing Law no. 254/2013 on the execution of sentences for those specific periods of detention.

8. The Court notes that the domestic remedy introduced in respect of the inadequate conditions of detention in Romania and applicable until December 2019 was held to be an effective one in the case of Dîrjan and Ştefan v. Romania ((dec.), nos. 14224/15 and 50977/15, §§ 23-33, 15 April 2020). This remedy was available to most of the applicants in the present applications, and they were, indeed, afforded adequate redress for certain periods of detention (for details see the appended table).

9. Therefore, the Court accepts the Government’s objection and finds that certain parts of the present applications (the relevant details described in the appended table) are incompatible ratione personae with the provisions of the Convention and must be declared inadmissible in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 (a) and 4 of the Convention.

10. Turning to the remaining periods of the applicants’ detention the details of which are indicated in the appended table, the Court notes that the applicants were kept in detention in poor conditions 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).

11. 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.

12. Having examined all the material submitted to it, 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, the Court considers that in the instant case the applicants’ conditions of detention were inadequate.

13. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention.

III. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION

14. 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.”

15. 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.

FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,

1. Decides to join the applications;

2. Declares the complaints concerning the inadequate conditions of detention, for the periods specified in the appended table, admissible, and the remainder of the applications inadmissible;

3. Holds that these complaints disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention;

4. 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 9 February 2023, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.

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	Facility Start and end date Duration	Sq. m per inmate	Specific grievances	Domestic compensation awarded (in days) based on total period calculated by national authorities	Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros) [1]
	37938/17 23/08/2017	Gabriel-Viorel MATYAS 1969	Rahova, Giurgiu, Jilava and Găeşti Prisons 04/02/2014 to 04/05/2017 3 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 1 day(s)	1.34 - 2.92 m²	overcrowding (save for the periods between 26/04/2016-27/04/2016, 24/11/2016-05/12/2016, and 02/03/2017-06/03/2017), infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to potable water, no or restricted access to warm water, inadequate temperature etc.		3,000
	57800/18 30/05/2019	Adrian AXINTE 1975	Vaslui County Police Station; Vaslui, Iași, Giurgiu, Rahova, Gherla, Aiud and Arad Prisons; Jilava and Mioveni Prison Hospitals 22/04/2008 to 23/07/2012 4 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 2 day(s) Vaslui, Mărgineni and Galați Prisons; Dej Prison Hospital 23/12/2019 pending More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 19 day(s)	1.4 - 2.86 m²	overcrowding (save for the periods between 04/05/2010-07/06/2010, 23/06/2011-04/07/2011, 08/04/2011-18/04/2011, 05/07/2011-23/07/2012, 12/03/2020-13/03/2020, 20/03/2020-23/04/2020, and 15/12/2020-22/12/2020), no or restricted access to toilet, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack or inadequate furniture etc.	60 days in compensation for a total period of 311 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 24/07/2012 - 22/12/2019	5,000
	2624/19 27/02/2019	Sorin-Constantin TRAŞCĂ 1979	Mioveni Prison 29/08/2019 pending More than 3 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 17 day(s)	–	overcrowding, mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food etc.	156 days in compensation for a total period of 793 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 02/11/2016 - 26/02/2019	3,000
	5333/19 18/02/2019	Ionel CĂPRĂRUŞ 1975	Focșani Prison 23/12/2019 to 03/07/2020 6 month(s) and 11 day(s)	2.20 m²	overcrowding (save for the period between 30/06/2020-03/07/2020), lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient natural light, inadequate temperature, mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects/rodents etc.	192 days in compensation for a total period of 984 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 20/12/2016 - 22/12/2019	1,000
	14830/19 14/05/2019	Iulian FERARU 1987	Olt County Police Station; Giurgiu and Craiova Prisons; Jilava and Rahova Prison Hospitals 03/02/2010 to 23/07/2012 2 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 21 day(s) Drobeta-Turnu Severin Prison 23/12/2019 pending More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 24 day(s)	–	overcrowding, poor quality of food, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities	516 days in compensation for a total period of 2601 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 24/07/2012 - 22/12/2019	5,000
	40334/19 12/09/2019	Marian MIC 1983	Gherla Prison; Dej Prison Hospital 30/05/2008 to 23/07/2012 4 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 24 day(s) Gherla and Baia Mare Prisons 23/12/2019 pending More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 24 day(s)	1.55 - 2.92 m²	overcrowding (save for the periods between 06/08/2008-16/08/2008, 10/09/2008-26/09/2008, and 01/10/2008-09/10/2008), no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to potable water, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack or inadequate furniture etc.	534 days in compensation for a total period of 2687 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 24/07/2012 - 22/12/2019	5,000
	46021/19 29/10/2019	Florinel-Mircea PARTIN 1986	Codlea Prison 23/12/2019 to 07/02/2021 1 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 16 day(s) Codlea Prison 23/09/2021 pending More than 1 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 24 day(s)	1.9 - 2.1 m²	overcrowding, no or restricted access to warm water, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or insufficient natural light etc.	42 days in compensation for a total period of 220 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 16/05/2019 - 22/12/2019	3,000
	63637/19 24/12/2019	Aurel-Silviu CERCEL 1987	Jilava Prison 23/12/2019 to 29/11/2020 11 month(s) and 7 day(s)	1.47 - 2.5 m²	overcrowding, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, mouldy or dirty cell etc.	246 days in compensation for a total period of 1247 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 20/07/2016 - 22/12/2019	1,000
	64929/19 05/12/2019	Florin LUPU 1973	Iași and Botoșani Prisons 23/12/2019 pending More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 25 day(s)	–	overcrowding, no or restricted access to potable water, no or restricted access to running water, no or restricted access to toilet, infestation of cell with insects/rodents etc.	102 days in compensation for a total period of 537 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 06/07/2018 - 22/12/2019	3,000
	379/20 17/01/2020	Leonard BUTNARU 1992	Găești Prison 23/12/2019 to 03/06/2020 5 month(s) and 12 day(s)	–	overcrowding, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, inadequate temperature	72 days in compensation for a total period of 372 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions between 05/12/2018 - 22/12/2019	1,000
	535/20 29/01/2020	Marin VÎRBAN 1980	Craiova, Pelendava and Drobet-Turnu Severin Prisons 23/12/2019 pending More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 25 day(s)	–	overcrowding, lack of fresh air, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower etc.	282 days in compensation for a total period of 1421 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 01/02/2016 - 22/12/2019	3,000
	3454/20 18/02/2020	Viorel DRĂGAN 1971	Focșani, Dâmbovița (Mărgineni), Gherla, Giurgiu, Ploiești, Găești and Brăila Prisons 23/12/2019 pending More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 25 day(s)	–	overcrowding (save for the period between 23/01/2020-20/03/2020), lack of fresh air, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, mouldy or dirty cell etc.	–	3,000
	4994/20 08/05/2020	Ioan-Nicolae RĂFĂILĂ 1968	Deva Prison 23/12/2019 pending More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 25 day(s)	–	lack of or insufficient quantity of food, poor quality of food, lack or inadequate furniture, no or restricted access to shower etc.	54 days in compensation for a total period of 282 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions from 15/03/2019 - 22/12/2019	3,000
	15727/20 12/05/2020	Dan-Ioan PUŞCAŞU 1975	Mioveni, Giurgiu, Jilava and Târgu Jiu Prisons 23/12/2019 pending More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 25 day(s)	–	overcrowding (save for the period between 23/12/2019-28/12/2020), mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, inadequate temperature, lack or inadequate furniture etc.	120 days in compensation for a total period of 615 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions before 22/12/2019	3,000
	18917/20 25/05/2020	Nicolae MANOLE 1983	Giurgiu Prison 28/06/2021 pending More than 1 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 21 day(s)	–	overcrowding, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, no or restricted access to warm water etc.	210 days in compensation for a total period of 1071 days spent in detention in inadequate conditions between 10/02/2016 - 22/12/2019	3,000

[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.