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FIRST
SECTION
CASE OF KRYUK v. RUSSIA
(Application
no. 11769/04)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
13
December 2011
This
judgment will become final in the circumstances set out in Article 44
§ 2 of the Convention. It may be subject to editorial
revision.
In the case of Kryuk v. Russia,
The
European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting as a Chamber
composed of:
Nina Vajić,
President,
Anatoly Kovler,
Peer
Lorenzen,
Elisabeth Steiner,
Khanlar
Hajiyev,
Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska,
Erik
Møse, judges,
and Søren
Nielsen, Section
Registrar,
Having
deliberated in private on 22 November 2011,
Delivers
the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
PROCEDURE
- The
case originated in an application (no. 11769/04)
against the Russian Federation lodged with the Court
under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a
Russian national, Mr Vasiliy Olegovich Kryuk (“the applicant”),
on 6 March 2004.
- The
applicant was represented by Mr S. Nikolayev, a lawyer practising in
Moscow. The Russian Government (“the Government”)
were represented by Ms V. Milinchuk, former Representative of
the Russian Federation at the European Court of Human Rights.
3. The
applicant alleged, in particular, that he had been detained in
appalling conditions pending investigation and trial and that the
criminal proceedings against him had been unreasonably long.
- On
22 October 2007 the President
of the First Section decided to give notice of the application
to the Government. It was also decided to rule on the
admissibility and merits of the application at the same time
(Article 29 § 1).
5. The Government objected to the
joint examination of the admissibility and merits of the application.
Having examined the Government’s objection, the Court dismissed
it.
THE FACTS
I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE
- The
applicant was born in 1975 and lives in Moscow.
A. Criminal proceedings against the applicant
1. First set of the proceedings
- On
1 August 1997 the applicant was arrested and charged with assault. He
remained in custody pending investigation and trial.
- On
31 December 1997 the criminal investigation in respect of the
applicant was completed and his case-file was forwarded to the
Perovskiy District Court of Moscow.
- In
January-April 1998 the District Court adjourned the trial twice
because of a conflict in the judge’s schedule and once because
the applicant’s lawyer’s failed to appear.
- On
27 May, 13 July and 20 October 1998 the District Court
adjourned the hearing in the matter because of the failure of the
witnesses to appear.
- On
27 November and 6 April 1998 the trial was adjourned
because the applicant was ill, and owing to the absence of the
witnesses and the applicant’s lawyer respectively.
- The
District Court heard the case on 7 and 13 May 1999. On 17 May
1999 it found the applicant guilty of assault and extortion and
sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment. The verdict was
quashed on appeal by the Moscow City Court on 5 April 2000. The
appeal court noted that the applicant’s indictment had
contravened the rules of criminal procedure, and remitted the matter
for further investigation.
2. Second set of criminal proceedings
- On
16 June 2000 the City Court forwarded the case-file to the
District Court. On 28 July 2000 the District court fixed the
hearing for 22 September 2000.
- The
hearing of the matter was adjourned on 22 September, 1 and
8 November and 8 December 2000, for the following reasons:
(a) to give the trial court time to study the file, (b) owing to the
absence of the defendants, who were not transported to the courthouse
on two occasions, and (c) upon request by the prosecution and defence
counsel.
- On
21 December 2000 the District Court remitted the matter for
additional investigation. The trial was re-opened on 16 March
2001, when the District Court fixed the hearing for 10 April
2001.
- The
hearing scheduled for 10 April 2001 was adjourned owing to the
witnesses’ failure to appear. On 28 April 2001 the hearing
was adjourned owing to the applicant’s illness.
- On
30 May 2001 the witnesses and the applicant’s lawyer
failed to appear and the hearing was adjourned. On 6 June 2001
the District Court adjourned the hearing because the defendants were
ill.
- During
the period between 25 June and 25 September 2001 the
District Court adjourned the trial eight times owing to the
witnesses’ or lawyers’ failure to appear.
- On
25 September 2001 the District Court heard the case. It found the
applicant and two other defendants guilty of assault and extortion.
The applicant was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment. The
defendants appealed.
- The
District Court forwarded the case-file to the City Court on
14 January 2002. On 19 February 2002 the City Court found that
the trial had been held in the absence of the applicant’s
representative and it quashed the judgment and remitted the case for
fresh consideration.
3. Third set of criminal proceedings
- The
District Court fixed the trial for 29 April 2002. During the
period between 29 April and 25 June 2002 the District Court
adjourned five hearings owing to the witnesses’ and
lawyers’ failure to appear.
- On
9 July 2002 the hearing was adjourned owing to a conflict in the
judge’s schedule.
- On
29 July 2002 the witnesses failed to appear and the hearing was
adjourned. The next three hearings were adjourned owing to the
lawyers’ failure to appear. On 15 October 2002 the
applicant’s lawyer asked for another adjournment in order to
study the case-file.
- The
District Court heard the case from 30 October to 4 November
2002. On 4 November 2002 the District Court convicted the applicant
of extortion and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment. On
19 March 2003 the City Court upheld the applicant’s
conviction on appeal.
4. Fourth set of criminal proceedings
- On
17 July 2003 the Presidium of the City Court quashed the appeal
judgment of 19 March 2003, by way of supervisory review, on
account of certain procedural irregularities, and remitted the case
for fresh consideration.
- On
15 September 2003 the City Court again upheld the judgment of
4 November 2002 on appeal.
B. Conditions of the applicant’s detention
- Pending
investigation and trial, the applicant was detained in remand prisons
nos. IZ-77/1 and IZ-77/3 in Moscow.
1. The description provided by the Government
- According
to the Government, the applicant was detained in remand prison
no. IZ-77/1 from 6 August 1997 to 17 June 1999, from 3 May
2000 to 22 October 2001, and from 27 March to 21 October
2002. They provided the following information as regards the cells
where the applicant was detained, their surface area and the number
of sleeping places per cell:
Cell no.
|
Surface area (in square metres)
|
Number of beds
|
102
|
51.85
|
16
|
106
|
57.8
|
16
|
109
|
52.7
|
16
|
118
|
32.1
|
10
|
131
|
52.7
|
16
|
134
|
52.7
|
16
|
308
|
16.2
|
8
|
- The
Government further indicated that the applicant was detained in
remand prison no. IZ-77/3 from 17 June 1999 to 3 May
2000, from 22 October 2001 to 27 March 2002, and from
21 October 2002 to 14 January 2003. They provided the
following information as regards the cells where the applicant was
detained and their surface area:
Cell no.
|
Surface area (in square metres)
|
413
|
18.3
|
423
|
18.3
|
605
|
32.7
|
606
|
32.7
|
612
|
8.7
|
610
|
32.7
|
- The applicant was detained in cell no. 610 from
21 October 2002 to 14 January 2003. There were between
twenty-eight and thirty inmates detained there together with the
applicant.
- The
Government did not provide information as regards the remand prisons’
population during the period of the applicant’s detention
there, noting that the relevant documents had been destroyed on the
expiry of the statutory time-limit for storing them.
- At
all times the applicant was provided with an individual sleeping
place. The cells were equipped with ventilation in good working
order. There was natural and artificial lighting. The cells were
regularly disinfected. The water supply and heating systems
functioned properly. The average temperature in the cells was +180C
during the summer and +20 to +220C during the winter. The
inmates were entitled to outdoor exercise and use of shower
facilities.
2. The description provided by the applicant
- According
to the applicant, he was detained in severely overcrowded cells.
There were between ninety and one hundred and twenty inmates held in
one cell with only ten to sixteen beds. The inmates had to take turns
to sleep.
3. Medical assistance
(a) The Government’s submissions
- The
applicant received regular medical assistance. On 26 September
1998 the applicant consulted an ophthalmologist who diagnosed him
with slight myopia and prescribed him glasses. On 20 November
2002 the applicant had another eye examination and was prescribed new
glasses as his myopia had got worse.
- On
25 August 2003, while the applicant was serving a sentence in
correctional colony no. IK-17 in Nizhniy Novgorod, he was
diagnosed with varicose veins and underwent the necessary treatment.
(b) The applicant’s submissions
- According
to the applicant, his health has seriously deteriorated owing to his
detention in appalling conditions in the remand prisons.
- On
30 July 2004 the applicant was released. In November 2004 he was
diagnosed with hepatitis.
II. RELEVANT DOMESTIC LAW
- Section
22 of the Detention of Suspects Act (Federal Law no. 103 FZ
of 15 July 1995) provides that detainees should be given free food
sufficient to maintain them in good health according to standards
established by the Government of the Russian Federation. Section 23
provides that detainees should be kept in conditions which satisfy
sanitary and hygiene requirements. They should be provided with an
individual sleeping place and given bedding, tableware and
toiletries. Each inmate should have no less than four square metres
of personal space in his or her cell.
THE LAW
I. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF THE CONVENTION
A. Conditions of the applicant’s detention in
remand prisons nos. IZ877/1 and IZ-77/3 in Moscow
- The
applicant complained that the conditions of his
detention in remand prisons nos. IZ-77/1 and IZ-77/3 in Moscow
from 6 August 1997 to 14 January 2003 had fallen short of
the standards set forth in Article 3 of the Convention, which reads
as follows:
“No one shall be subjected to torture or to
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
1. Admissibility
(a) The parties’ submissions
- The Government submitted that the complaint in its
part concerning the applicant’s detention between 6 August
1997 and 5 May 1998 was incompatible ratione temporis
with the provisions of the Convention, within the meaning of Article
35 § 3. They further considered that the applicant had failed to
exhaust the effective domestic remedies available to him in respect
of his complaint. In particular, they noted that it had been open to
the applicant to bring his grievances to the attention of the
prosecutor. The Government cited examples of allegedly successful
complaints by inmates to prosecutors’ offices in the Kaluga,
Novosibirsk, Vladimir and Khabarovsk Regions of the Russian
Federation. For instance, the Government stressed that as a result of
the efficient work of the Kaluga Regional prosecutor’s office
the number of complaints lodged with it by inmates had decreased from
one hundred in the first half of 2006 to sixty-one in the first half
of 2007. At the same time, only 13.1% of the complaints lodged with
the Kaluga Regional prosecutor’s office in 2007 had been
considered well-founded in comparison to 18% of complaints found to
be well-founded in 2006.
- The
Government further asserted that the avenue of lodging a civil action
was also open to the applicant. In the Government’s opinion,
the effectiveness of that avenue was unquestionable. They indicated
that a number of individuals had received compensation for “improper”
conditions of detention in the Perm Region and the Tatarstan and
Mariy El Republics. The Government did not provide the Court with
copies of the relevant judgments.
- The
applicant did not comment.
(b) The Court’s assessment
(i) The Court’s competence to
examine the complaint
- The Court notes that the applicant complained about
the conditions of his detention between 6 August 1997 and
14 January 2003. However, it will examine that complaint only in
respect of the period which falls within its competence ratione
temporis, that is, after the Convention entered into force
in respect of Russia on 5 May 1998.
(ii) Whether it was incumbent of the
applicant to exhaust the domestic remedies indicated by the
Government
- As regards the Government’s objection concerning
the applicant’s alleged failure to exhaust domestic remedies,
the Court notes that the Government have previously raised the issue
of non-exhaustion, referring to the same domestic case-law, in a
number of Russian cases concerning conditions of detention in Russia.
The Court has examined and dismissed them, finding the said remedies
ineffective (see, for example, Aleksandr Makarov v.
Russia, no. 15217/07, §§ 76-91, 12 March
2009). The Court discerns nothing in the Government’s
submissions which would persuade it to depart from its earlier
findings. It follows that the applicant was not required to exhaust
the domestic remedies indicated by the Government, and thus the
Government’s objection must be dismissed.
(iii) Whether the applicant complied with
the six-month rule
- The
Court’s next task is to ascertain whether the applicant has
complied with six months’ rule. Normally, the six-month period
runs from the final decision in the process of exhaustion of domestic
remedies. However, in the absence of domestic remedies the six-month
period runs from the date of the acts or measures complained of (see,
for example, Demir v. Turkey, no. 22280/93, Commission
decision of 9 January 1995, unreported).
- The
Court notes that the applicant’s complaint concerns the period
between 5 May 1998 and 14 January 2003. Regard being had to
the Court’s earlier finding that the applicant was absolved
from the obligation to pursue the remedies indicated by the
Government in respect of his complaint about conditions of detention
(see paragraph 44 above), the six months start to run from the end of
the period under consideration, that is from 14 January 2003.
The applicant introduced his application on 6 March 2004.
- It
follows that these complaints have been introduced out of time and
must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 1
and 4 of the Convention.
B. Alleged lack of adequate medical care and
contraction of hepatitis
Admissibility
- The
applicant complained under Article 3 of the Convention that his
health had deteriorated owing to the appalling conditions of
detention and lack of proper medical care, and that he had contracted
hepatitis while in detention.
- The
Government pointed out that the applicant’s allegations lacked
any evidentiary basis. According to the applicant’s medical
case-file he had been provided with appropriate medical care and
there was nothing in the documents to substantiate his assertion that
he had contracted hepatitis while in the State’s custody.
- Having
regard to the material in its possession, the Court firstly notes
that it is not necessary for it to decide whether the applicant has
complied with the six months’ rule in respect of this part of
his complaint. It finds that, in any event, the applicant’s
allegations appear to be conjecture having no evidentiary basis. They
do not disclose any appearance of a violation of the rights and
freedoms set out in the Convention or its Protocols. It follows that
this part of the application is manifestly ill founded and must
be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 (a) and 4 of
the Convention.
II. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 OF THE CONVENTION ON
ACCOUNT OF EXCESSIVE LENGTH OF THE PROCEEDINGS
- The
applicant complained that the criminal proceedings against him had
been excessively long, in contravention of Article 6 of the
Convention, which reads, is so far as relevant, as follows:
“In the determination of ... any criminal charge
against him, everyone is entitled to a ... hearing within a
reasonable time by [a] ... tribunal ...”
A. Admissibility
- The
Government submitted that the complaint was in part incompatible
ratione temporis and that, in any event, it should be
dismissed for the applicant’s failure to respect the six-month
rule. In this regard they considered that the proceedings had ended
on 19 March 2003, when the Moscow City Court upheld the
applicant’s conviction on appeal, and that the subsequent
supervisory review and appeal proceedings should not be taken into
account. They also considered that the complaint should be dismissed
for the applicant’s failure to exhaust effective domestic
remedies. It had been open to him to lodge a suitable complaint with
the President of a court or a judicial qualifications board.
Alternatively he could have complained to a prosecutor or brought a
civil claim for damages before a court.
- The
applicant did not comment.
- In so far as the Government suggested that the
applicant had failed to complain to the domestic authorities about
the length of the criminal proceedings against him, the Court
observes that it has already on a number of occasions examined the
same objection by the Russian Government and dismissed it (see, among
recent authorities, Belashev v. Russia, no. 28617/03,
§ 67, 4 December 2008). The Court also refers to its
previous finding, made in the context of a complaint under Article 13
of the Convention, that in Russia there were no domestic remedies
whereby an applicant could enforce his or her right to a “hearing
within a reasonable time” (see Sidorenko v. Russia, no.
4459/03, § 39, 8 March 2007, and Klyakhin v.
Russia, no. 46082/99, §§ 101-102, 30 November
2004). The Court sees no reason to depart from that finding in the
present case and therefore considers that this complaint cannot be
rejected for failure to exhaust domestic remedies.
- The
Court notes that the applicant was arrested on 1 August 1997.
The criminal proceedings against him ended on 15 September 2003,
when the City Court upheld his conviction on appeal. However, the
period to be taken into consideration for the purposes of the present
case began only on 5 May 1998, when the Convention entered into
force in respect of Russia. In assessing the reasonableness of the
time that elapsed after that date, account must, nevertheless, be
taken of the state of proceedings at that time.
- The
Court further notes that the period from 19 March 2003, when the
applicant’s conviction again became final and no proceedings
were pending, to 17 July 2003, when the conviction was quashed
by way of supervisory review and the case was remitted for fresh
consideration, should not be taken into account (see, for example,
Brovchenko v. Russia, no. 1603/02, § 97, 18
December 2008). It lasted, accordingly, a total of five years
and nine and a half months, of which five years and fifteen days fall
within the Court’s jurisdiction. This period spanned the
investigation stage and the judicial proceedings, where the courts
reviewed the applicant’s case three times at two levels of
jurisdiction and once at one level of jurisdiction, following the
quashing by way of supervisory review, leading to the final judgment
of 15 September 2003.
- Lastly,
the Court notes that the final judgment was delivered on 15 September
2003 and that the applicant introduced his application on 6 March
2004, that is, within six months of the end of the criminal
proceedings against him. It therefore dismisses the Government’s
objection in this respect.
- The
Court notes that this complaint is not manifestly ill-founded within
the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention. It further
notes that it is not inadmissible on any other grounds. It must
therefore be declared admissible.
B. Merits
- The
Government submitted that the overall length of the proceedings had
been reasonable. In any event, the applicant himself had contributed
to the length of the proceedings. On numerous occasions the trial
court had had to adjourn the hearing owing to his lawyer’s
failure to appear. There had not been any significant delays in the
proceedings attributable to the authorities. It had been necessary
for the courts to examine the matter thoroughly, which had required
time and effort.
- The
applicant maintained his complaint.
- The
Court reiterates that the reasonableness of the length of the
proceedings must be assessed in the light of the circumstances of the
case and with reference to the following criteria: the complexity of
the case, the conduct of the applicant and the relevant authorities
and what was at stake for the applicant in the dispute (see, among
many other authorities, Pélissier and Sassi v. France
[GC], no. 25444/94, § 67, ECHR 1999 II). In addition,
only delays attributable to the State may justify a finding of
failure to comply with the “reasonable time” requirement
(see Pedersen and Baadsgaard v. Denmark [GC], no. 49017/99, §
49, ECHR 2004-XI).
- The
Court considers that the proceedings at issue were of a certain
complexity owing to the gravity of the charges and the number of
defendants. However, the Court finds that the complexity of the case,
on its own, cannot justify the overall length of the proceedings.
- The
Court takes cognisance of the fact that the trial court scheduled and
held hearings at regular intervals without undue delay, and cannot be
said to have remained inactive.
- Furthermore,
the Court is prepared to accept that the problems of attendance of
the parties, including the applicant’s counsel and witnesses,
even though persistent at times, did not seriously affect the length
of the proceedings.
-
In the Court’s opinion, it was the repeated referrals of the
case to the trial court for fresh examination that seriously delayed
the proceedings. The judicial proceedings against the applicant
lasted over five years. During that period the applicant had to stand
trial three times. His conviction was quashed twice by the appeal
court owing to the trial court’s failure to comply with the
rules of criminal procedure.
- Although the Court is not in a position to analyse the
juridical quality of the domestic courts’ decisions, it
considers that, since remittal of cases for re-examination is
frequently ordered as a result of errors committed by lower courts,
the repetition of such orders within one set of proceedings may
disclose a serious deficiency in the judicial system (see, mutatis
mutandis, Wierciszewska v. Poland, no. 41431/98, §
46, 25 November 2003; Matica v. Romania, no. 19567/02, §
24, 2 November 2006; and Falimonov v. Russia, no. 11549/02, §
58, 25 March 2008). The fact that the domestic courts heard the case
several times did not absolve them from complying with the
“reasonable time” requirement of Article 6 § 1
(see Litoselitis v. Greece, no. 62771/00, § 32, 5
February 2004).
- Lastly,
the Court notes that the fact that the applicant was held in custody
throughout the criminal proceedings against him required particular
diligence on the part of the authorities dealing with the case to
administer justice expeditiously (see, among other authorities,
Korshunov v. Russia, no. 38971/06, § 71,
25 October 2007).
- In
the light of the criteria laid down in its case-law, and having
regard to all the circumstances of the case, the Court considers that
in the instant case the length of the proceedings was excessive and
failed to meet the “reasonable time” requirement. There
has accordingly been a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the
Convention.
III. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF ARTICLE 6 OF THE
CONVENTION
- Lastly,
the applicant complained that his conviction had
been based on inadmissible and contradictory evidence and that the
trial court had erred in the way they had applied the criminal law in
his case. He referred to Article 6 of the Convention.
- However,
having regard to all the material in its possession, and in so far as
these complaints fall within its competence ratione temporis,
the Court finds that there is no appearance of a violation of the
rights and freedoms set out in the Convention or its Protocols. It
follows that this part of the application must be rejected as being
manifestly ill-founded, pursuant to Article 35 §§ 3 (a)
and 4 of the Convention.
IV. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION
- 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.”
A. Damage
- The
applicant claimed 1,000,000 euros (EUR) in
respect of pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage.
- The
Government considered that the applicant had failed to substantiate
his claims and that they should be dismissed in their entirety.
Alternatively, they proposed that finding a violation would
constitute sufficient just satisfaction.
- The
Court does not discern any causal link between the violation found
and the pecuniary damage alleged; it therefore rejects this claim.
- The
Court, however, notes that it has found that the criminal proceedings
against the applicant were excessively long. In such circumstances,
the Court considers that the applicant’s suffering and anguish
cannot be compensated by the mere finding of a violation. Making its
assessment on an equitable basis, the Court awards the applicant
EUR 2,400 in respect of non-pecuniary damage.
B. Costs and expenses
- The
applicant also claimed 12,000 Russian roubles
(RUB) for lawyer’s fees in respect of the proceedings before
the Court and RUB 8,500 for the services provided by a
translator. He submitted the original invoices for the amounts
claimed.
- The
Government contended that nothing should be awarded to the applicant
under this head.
- According
to the Court’s case-law, an applicant is entitled to the
reimbursement of costs and expenses only in so far as it has been
shown that these have been actually and necessarily incurred and are
reasonable as to quantum. In the present case, regard being
had to the documents in its possession and the above
criteria and the fact that a number of the applicant’s
complaints were declared inadmissible, the Court considers it
reasonable to award the sum of EUR 300 for the proceedings
before the Court.
C. Default interest
- The
Court considers it appropriate that the default interest should be
based on the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank, to
which should be added three percentage points.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT UNANIMOUSLY
- Declares the complaint concerning the length of
the criminal proceedings against the applicant admissible and the
remainder of the application inadmissible;
- Holds that there has been a violation of Article
6 § 1 of the Convention;
- Holds
(a) that
the respondent State is to pay the applicant,
within three months of the date on which the judgment
becomes final in accordance with Article 44 § 2
of the Convention, the following amounts, to be converted into
Russian roubles at the rate applicable at the date of settlement:
(i) EUR
2,400 (two thousand and four hundred euros), plus any tax that may be
chargeable, in respect of non-pecuniary damage;
(ii) EUR
300 (three hundred euros), plus any tax that may be chargeable to the
applicant, in respect of costs and expenses;
(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;
- Dismisses the remainder of the applicant’s
claim for just satisfaction.
Done in English, and notified in writing on 13 December 2011,
pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Søren Nielsen Nina
Vajić
Registrar President