CEDH · CASELAW;JUDGMENTS;COMMITTEE;ENG — 14 juin 2018

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ROMANIA (Application no. 33064/15 and 10 others - see appended list )                 JUDGMENT             STRASBOURG   14 June 2018       This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Uță and Others v. Romania, The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:   Vincent A. De Gaetano, President,   Georges Ravarani,   Marko Bošnjak, judges, and Liv Tigerstedt, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 24 May 2018, 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 applications were communicated to the Romanian Government (“the Government”). 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 of the inadequate conditions of their detention. They relied on Article 3 of the Convention, which reads as follows: Article 3 “No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” 7.     In applications nos. 11542/16 and 38099/16, the Government raised a preliminary objection of non-compliance with the six-month time-limit, claiming that the applicants’ complaints regarding their initial detention were lodged out of time. 8.     The Court observes that in application no. 11542/16 the applicant’s complaint regarding his initial detention in Craiova Prison, which ceased on 3   December 2012 by his transfer to another prison facility in respect of which he did not raise any complaint, was lodged with the Court on 22   March 2016, that is, more than six months after the transfer. 9.     The Court further observes that in application no. 38099/16 the applicant’s complaint regarding his initial detention in Craiova Prison, which ceased on 15 September 2008 by his transfer to another prison facility in respect of which he did not raise any complaint, was lodged with the Court on 18 July 2016, that is, more than six months after the transfer. 10.     Therefore, the Court accepts the Government’s objection and finds that these parts of the applications were lodged outside the six-month time ‑ limit and must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 1 and 4 of the Convention. 11.     The Court notes that the applicants were kept in detention in poor conditions. The details of the applicants’ detention are indicated in the appended table. 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   ‑ 141, and Ananyev and Others v. Russia , nos.   42525/07 and 60800/08, §§   149 ‑ 159, 10   January 2012). 12.     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. 13.     Having examined all the material submitted to it, as well as the Government’s objection concerning the application of the six-month rule to the continuous situations of the applicants’ conditions of detention in applications nos. 39242/15 and 39892/16, 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. 14.     These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention. III.     APPLICATION OF ARTICLE   41 OF THE CONVENTION 15.     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.” 16.     Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case ‑ law (see, in particular, Rezmiveș and Others v. Romania, nos. 61467/12 and 3 others, 25 April 2017), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table. 17.     The Court considers it appropriate that the default interest rate 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, 1.     Decides to join the applications;   2.     Declares the complaints concerning the inadequate conditions of detention, as set out in the appended table, admissible and the remainder of the applications nos. 11542/16 and 38099/16, concerning the applicants’ initial detention periods which ended on 3 December 2012 and 15 September 2008 respectively, inadmissible;   3.     Holds that these applications 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 14 June 2018, pursuant to Rule   77   §§   2 and   3 of the Rules of Court.   Liv Tigerstedt   Vincent A. De Gaetano   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 name Date of birth   Representative name and location Facility Start and end date Duration Sq. m. per inmate Specific grievances Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros) [1]     33064/15 14/08/2015 Laurențiu ‑ George Uță 27/01/1982   Giurgiu Prison         Mărgineni Prison, Rahova Prison       Jilava Prison, Găeşti Prison   03/01/2004 to 15/03/2017 13 years and 2 months and 13 days           2.25-2.44 m²         1.36-2.64 m² infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of potable water, poor quality of food, lack of privacy during shower, inadequate temperature, passive smoking   overcrowding, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of potable water, lack of privacy during shower, poor quality of food, inadequate temperature   overcrowding, poor quality of food, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, poor quality of potable water, lack of privacy during shower, inadequate temperature 5,000     36070/15 20/08/2015 Alin Mujea 12/06/1984   Miercurea-Ciuc Prison 19/01/2015 to 05/04/2016 1 year and 2 months and 18 days 1.29-1.85 m² overcrowding, poor quality of food, insufficient out-of-cell space, bunk beds, lack of or insufficient natural light, no or restricted access to warm water, lack or inadequate furniture 3,000     36659/15 10/08/2015 Dumitru Agapi 13/09/1968   Bacău Prison         Iaşi Prison             Arad Prison     Tulcea Prison           Vaslui Prison   06/07/2010 pending More than 7 years and 10 months and 4 days 1.63-2.80 m²         1.28 m²             3.07 m²     1.69 m²           2.45-2.95 m² overcrowding (save for the period of 30/07/2010-02/08/2010), poor quality of food, bunk beds, no or restricted access to warm water   overcrowding, poor quality of food, insufficient out-of-cell space, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to warm water, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or insufficient electric light   poor quality of food, insufficient out-of-cell space, no or restricted access to warm water   overcrowding, poor quality of food, insufficient out-of-cell space, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to potable water, lack of fresh air, no or restricted access to warm water   overcrowding, poor quality of food, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to warm water, insufficient toiletries 5,000     36666/15 28/08/2015 Iulian-Nicolae Ichim 25/06/1972     Irina Maria Peter Bucharest Jilava Prison, Mărgineni Prison           Giurgiu Prison, Rahova Prison   31/10/2007 to 21/04/2016 8 years and 5 months and 22 days 1.11 - 2.96 m²             1.93-2.79 m² overcrowding (save for the periods of 16/02/2015-17/02/2015 and 13/07/2015-28/03/2016), bunk beds, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of dining facilities   overcrowding (save for the periods of 27/10/2010 - 06/11/2010,   01/01/2012 -22/03/2012, 26/04/2012-16/02/2015), lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food, lack of dining facilities 5,000     37029/15 17/08/2015 Cătălin Condoiu 19/01/1984     Irina Maria Peter Bucharest Bucharest Police Section no. 6, Jilava Prison, Rahova Prison, Galaţi Prison, Arad Prison, Giurgiu Prison   22/07/2008 to 01/02/2016 7 years and 6 months and 11 days 1.26-2.95 m²                     overcrowding (save for the periods of 11/02/2009-30/04/2010, 30/10/2012-04/09/2013, 10/01/2014-19/05/2014, 31/07/2015-01/11/2015), lack of dining facilities, bunk beds, lack or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, poor quality of running water, poor quality of food, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, no or restricted access to potable water, mouldy or dirty cell 5,000     39095/15 27/08/2015 Demeter-Mihai Póra 25/06/1974   Braşov Police Arrest         Codlea Prison               Rahova Prison             Miercurea-Ciuc Prison           Mărgineni Prison         Ploieşti Prison           Rahova Prison Hospital   11/07/2009 pending More than 8 years and 9 months and 29 days 3.21-4 m²         1.35-2.19 m²               1.93-2.17 m²             1.40-1.94 m²                     1.46-1.53 m²           6.2-7.46 m²             lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of privacy for toilet, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen   overcrowding, bunk beds, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of dining facilities   overcrowding, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to potable water, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of dining facilities   overcrowding, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of dining facilities   bunk beds, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of dining facilities   overcrowding, bunk beds, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of dining facilities   mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to potable water, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of dining facilities     5,000     39242/15 01/09/2015 Valentin Patrichi 24/04/1983   Galaţi Prison, Giurgiu Prison, Poarta Albă Prison, Rahova Prison, Craiova Prison         Poarta Albă Prison Hospital     Brăila Prison   19/12/2009 pending More than 8 years and 4 months and 20 days 1.84-2.76 m²               4.31-11.74 m²       1.57-2.76 m² overcrowding (save for the periods of 11/04/2011-24/10/2011, 19/01/2012-23/01/2012, 21/08/2012-24/09/2012, 31/05/2012-23/07/2012, 04/02/2013-07/03/2013), lack or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food, insufficient toiletries   lack or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, insufficient toiletries     overcrowding (save for the periods of 17/10/2014-29/10/2014, 27/11/2014-18/08/2015, 21/09/2015 onward), lack or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, no or restricted access to shower, poor quality of food 5,000     42335/15 14/08/2015 Claudiu-Marian Bondoc 21/12/1973   Rahova Prison 23/10/2014 to 11/04/2016 1 year and 5 months and 20 days 2.44 m² overcrowding (save for the periods of 24/10/2014-13/11/2014 and 19/11/2015-18/02/2016), poor quality of food, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack or inadequate furniture, lack of dining facilities 3,000     11542/16 22/03/2016 Marian Sorin Gogoloiu 26/04/1989   Craiova Prison 07/05/2013 pending More than 5 years and 2 days 0.93-1.52 m² overcrowding, small and crowded courtyard, poor quality of food, lack of fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents 5,000   38099/16 18/07/2016 Paul-Marian Bălăşoiu 21/11/1982   Craiova Prison 21/04/2009 pending More than 9 years and 19 days 1.20-2.17 m² overcrowding (save for the period of 29/11/2012-09/12/2012), bunk beds, poor quality of food, infestation of cell with insects/rodents 5,000   39892/16 04/07/2016 Cosmin Pancu 05/03/1979   Bihor County Police Arrest, Jilava Prison, Oradea Prison, Jilava Prison Hospital, Arad Prison, Colibaşi Prison Hospital   15/05/2003 pending More than 14 years and 11 months and 27 days 2.07 - 2.37 m² overcrowding (save for the periods of 20/07/2004-02/08/2004, 25/10/2004-29/11/2004, 07/02/2008-25/05/2009, 09/08/2010-23/08/2010, 06/08/2011-onward) poor quality of food, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, insufficient toiletries, lack of or insufficient natural light, no or restricted access to warm water, lack or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents 5,000   [1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.