KANYGIN AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA - 49997/21 (Article 11 - Freedom of assembly and association : Third Section Committee) [2024] ECHR 242 (21 March 2024)


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European Court of Human Rights


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> European Court of Human Rights >> KANYGIN AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA - 49997/21 (Article 11 - Freedom of assembly and association : Third Section Committee) [2024] ECHR 242 (21 March 2024)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/2024/242.html
Cite as: [2024] ECHR 242

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THIRD SECTION

CASE OF KANYGIN AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA

(Applications nos. 49997/21 and 20 others -

see appended list)

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUDGMENT

 

STRASBOURG

21 March 2024

 

This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.


In the case of Kanygin and Others v. Russia,

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

 Peeter Roosma, President,
 Ioannis Ktistakis,
 Andreas Zünd, judges,

and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,

Having deliberated in private on 22 February 2024,

Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:

PROCEDURE


1.  The case originated in applications against Russia 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 Russian 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 disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of public assemblies. Some applicants also raised other complaints under the provisions of the Convention.

THE LAW

  1. 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.

  1. JURISDICTION


6.  The Court observes that the facts giving rise to the alleged violations of the Convention occurred prior to 16 September 2022, the date on which the Russian Federation ceased to be a party to the Convention. The Court therefore decides that it has jurisdiction to examine the present applications (see Fedotova and Others v. Russia [GC], nos. 40792/10 and 2 others, §§ 68-73, 17 January 2023).

  1. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 11 OF THE CONVENTION


7.  The applicants complained principally of disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of public assemblies, namely their arrest in relation to the dispersal of these assemblies and their conviction for administrative offences. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 11 of the Convention.


8.  The Court refers to the principles established in its case-law regarding freedom of assembly (see Kudrevičius and Others v. Lithuania [GC], no. 37553/05, ECHR 2015, with further references) and proportionality of interference with it (see Oya Ataman v. Turkey, no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006-XIV, and Hyde Park and Others v. Moldova, no. 33482/06, 31 March 2009).


9.  In the leading cases of Frumkin v. Russia, no. 74568/12, ECHR 2016 (extracts), Navalnyy and Yashin v. Russia, no. 76204/11, 4 December 2014 and Kasparov and Others v. Russia, no. 21613/07, 3 October 2013, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.


10.  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 as to 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 interferences with the applicants' freedom of assembly were not "necessary in a democratic society".


11.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention.

  1. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS UNDER WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW


12.  Some applicants submitted other complaints which also raised issues under the Convention, given the relevant well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table). These complaints are not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, nor are they inadmissible on any other ground. Accordingly, they must be declared admissible.


13.  Having examined all the material before it, the Court concludes that these complaints also disclose violations of the Convention in the light of its findings in Butkevich v. Russia, no. 5865/07, §§ 63-65, 13 February 2018, Tsvetkova and Others v. Russia, nos. 54381/08 and 5 others, §§ 115-31, 10 April 2018, and Korneyeva v. Russia, no. 72051/17, §§ 34-36, 8 October 2019, as to various aspects of unlawful deprivation of liberty of organisers or participants of public assemblies; and Karelin v. Russia, no. 926/08, §§ 58-85, 20 September 2016, concerning the absence of a prosecuting party in the proceedings under the Code of Administrative Offences (the CAO).

  1. REMAINING COMPLAINTS


14.  Some applicants raised further additional complaints under Article 6 of the Convention concerning other aspects of fairness of the administrative-offence proceedings. In view of the findings in the above paragraphs, the Court considers that there is no need to deal separately with these remaining complaints.

  1. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION


15.  Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case-law (see in particular Navalnyy and Others v. Russia [Committee], nos. 25809/17 and 14 others, § 22, 4 October 2022), the Court finds it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.

FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,

  1. Decides to join the applications;
  2. Holds that it has jurisdiction to deal with these applications as they relate to facts that took place before 16 September 2022;
  3. Declares the complaints under Article 11 of the Convention and the other complaints under the well-established case-law of the Court, as set out in the appended table, admissible, and finds that there is no need to examine separately the remaining complaints under Article 6 of the Convention;
  4. Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention;
  5. Holds that there has been a violation of the Convention as regards the other complaints raised under the well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table);
  6. 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 21 March 2024, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.

 Viktoriya Maradudina Peeter Roosma
 Acting Deputy Registrar President

 

 


APPENDIX

List of applications raising complaints under Article 11 of the Convention

(disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies)

No.

Application no.

Date of introduction

Applicant's name

Year of birth

 

Representative's name and location

Name of the public event

Location

Date

Administrative/ criminal offence

Penalty

Final domestic decision

Court Name

Date

Other complaints under well-established case-law

Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant

(in euros)[1]

  1.    

49997/21

27/09/2021

Yuriy Alekseyevich KANYGIN

1989

Martynova Tatyana Georgiyevna

Pskov

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Pskov

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 12,000

Pskov Regional Court

29/03/2021

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 31/01/2021 for compiling an offence report;

 

 Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

4,000

  1.    

51121/21

01/10/2021

Yekaterina Aleksandrovna SHISHKOVA

2002

Sirosh Fedor Yevgenyevich

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Moscow City Court

02/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceeding;

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 23/01/2021 for compiling an offence report

4,000

  1.    

51123/21

01/10/2021

Kirill Filippovich BLEKVARD

1990

Sirosh Fedor Yevgenyevich

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 16,000

Moscow City Court

02/04/2021

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 23/01/2021 for compiling an offence report,

 

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

4,000

  1.    

51125/21

01/10/2021

Artur Petrovich ZHDANOV

1987

Sirosh Fedor Yevgenyevich

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 15,000

Moscow City Court

02/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings;

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 23/01/2021 for compiling an offence report

4,000

  1.    

52346/21

01/10/2021

Anna Sergeyevna POPKOVA

2000

Nurgaleyev Danil Ilnurovich

Kazan

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Kazan

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2

§ 6.1 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Tatarstan Republic

07/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.    

52349/21

01/10/2021

Alevtina Feliksovna SYNTINA

1999

Nurgaleyev Danil Ilnurovich

Kazan

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Kazan

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2

§ 6.1 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Tatarstan Republic

05/05/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

 

 

3,500

  1.    

53270/21

06/10/2021

Nikita Igorevich FIRSOV

1990

Zinovyev Konstantin Mikhaylovich

Nizhniy Novgorod

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Dzerzhinsk

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 2 of CAO

fine of RUB 25,000

Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

07/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings;

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 12.30 p.m. until 7.45 p.m. on 31/01/2021

4,000

  1.    

53288/21

07/10/2021

Nikita Alekseyevich MITROFANOV

1995

Usanova Olimpiada Valentinovna

Nizhniy Novgorod

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2

§ 6.1 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

07/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings;

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 12.40 p.m. on 31/01/2021 until 1.30 p.m. on 01/02/2021

4,000

  1.    

54360/21

20/10/2021

Dmitriy Sergeyevich TELESHENKO

1993

Dimitriyev Dmitriy Sergeyevich

Orenburg

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Orenburg

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Orenburg Regional Court

20/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

 

 

3,500

  1.  

55444/21

08/11/2021

Stepan Viktorovich BOCHKAREV

1977

Eysmont Mariya Olegovna

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2

§ 6.1 of CAO

detention for 5 days

Moscow City Court

17/05/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

5,000

  1.  

55450/21

08/11/2021

Polina Alekseyevna KURILO

1995

Eysmont Mariya Olegovna

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2

§ 6.1 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Moscow City Court

19/05/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

55842/21

27/10/2021

Ioanna Vladimirovna MAYATSKAYA

2002

Polyakov Daniil Alekseyevich

Voronezh

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Voronezh

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Voronezh Regional Court

28/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

 

,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 31/01/2021 for compiling an offence report

4,000

  1.  

55861/21

28/10/2021

Pavel Vasilyevich STEPANOV

1983

Kosnyrev Vladislav Vladimirovich

Syktyvkar

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Syktyvkar

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Komi Supreme Court

28/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

55956/21

27/10/2021

Asya Fedorovna SHULBAYEVA

1957

Pryanishnikov Aleksey Aleksandrovich

Tomsk

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Tomsk

 

21/04/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Tomsk Regional Court

02/07/2021

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 21/04/2021 for compiling an offence report

 

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

4,000

  1.  

55978/21

04/11/2021

Aleksey Olegovich YELDASHEV

1996

Mikhaylova Varvara Dmitriyevna

St Petersburg

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Kazan

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Tatarstan Republic

05/05/2021

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 23/01/2021 for compiling an offence report

 

 

4,000

  1.  

56413/21

23/10/2021

Mikhail Andreyevich VORONCHIKHIN

1989

Popkov Aleksandr Vasilyevich

Sochi

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Sochi

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2

§ 6.1 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Krasnodar Regional Court

26/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings;

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 23/01/2021 for compiling an offence report

4,000

  1.  

56651/21

23/10/2021

Sergey Vyacheslavovich MITROFANOV

1995

Memorial Human Rights Centre

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Voronezh

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 12,000

Voronezh Regional Court

28/05/2021

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 2.20 p.m. until 7.50 p.m. on 31/01/2021,

 

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

4,000

  1.  

56922/21

29/10/2021

Nikolay Vladimirovich MESHCHANOV

1989

Vasilyev Aleksey Alekseyevich

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 20,000

Moscow City Court

28/04/2021

(the full text of the decision received several days later)

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 23/01/2021 for compiling an offence report;

 

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

4,000

  1.  

56926/21

28/10/2021

Kristina Vyacheslavovna NUDNER

1996

Vasilyev Aleksey Alekseyevich

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 15,000

Moscow City Court

28/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings;

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 23/01/2021 for compiling an offence report

4,000

  1.  

57395/21

08/11/2021

Roman Igorevich KLIMOV

1986

Kapishnikov Vladimir Sergeyevich

Orel

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Orel

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Orel Regional Court

30/07/2021

 

3,500

  1.  

57399/21

14/11/2021

Khurshed Akhmedovich AMINOV

1988

Eysmont Mariya Olegovna

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2

§ 6.1 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Moscow City Court

19/05/2021

 Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings;

 

 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 31/01/2021 for compiling an offence report

4,000

 

 


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


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