CEDH · CASELAW;DECISIONS;ADMISSIBILITYCOM;ENG — 15 février 2024

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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 applications Having 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 about 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 the complaints about the inadequate conditions of their detention, as the action in tort had become an effective remedy for grievances similar to those of the applicants, allowing them to have the violation of the Convention acknowledged, either explicitly or in substance, and to receive adequate and sufficient compensation at domestic level. Therefore, they invited the Court to declare the cases inadmissible. The Court recalls that in Polgar v.   Romania , no.   39412/19, §§   94 ‑ 96, 20   July   2021, it held that an action in tort, based on Articles   1349 and 1357 of the Romanian Civil Code, as interpreted consistently by the national courts, had represented since 13   January   2021 an effective remedy for conditions of detention for the applicants who were no longer being held in conditions that were allegedly contrary to the Convention. Subsequently, in Vlad v.   Romania (dec.) , no.   122/17, 15 November 2022, §§   24 ‑ 32, the Court considered it appropriate to apply an exception to the general principle that the effectiveness of a given remedy was to be assessed with reference to the date on which the application was lodged. For all the above reasons and in the light of all the material in its possession, since the applicants ceased to be held in conditions of detention that were allegedly contrary to the Convention after the moment when the tort action had been considered as representing an effective remedy (see , mutatis   mutandis, Polgar , §   96 and Vlad , § 23, both cited above; see the appended table for further details), but did not inform the Court of having brought such an action before the domestic courts, their applications must be dismissed for failure to exhaust domestic remedies. Since the Court has already upheld the Government’s objection on the non-exhaustion of domestic remedies, it does not consider it necessary to examine further another objection from the Government raised in respect of some applications related to the question of incompatibility ratione   personae with the provisions of the Convention. In the light of the foregoing, the Court considers that these applications must be dismissed on the ground that domestic remedies had not been exhausted, pursuant to 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 14 March 2024.   {signature_p_2}   Viktoriya Maradudina   Anja Seibert-Fohr   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 Representative’s name and location Facility Start and end date Duration     17852/16 04/05/2016 Aristotel SZEMKOVICS 1958         Jilava, Rahova, Poarta Albă, Aiud and Giurgiu Prisons 17/03/1999 to 23/07/2012 13 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 7 day(s)   Giurgiu, Jilava, Rahova and Poarta Albă Prisons 24/12/2019 to 28/11/2022 2 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 5 day(s)     17901/16 03/05/2016 Viorel LUSCA 1967         Aiud and Miercurea-Ciuc Prisons 30/03/2005 to 23/07/2012 7 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 24 day(s)   Aiud Prison 24/12/2019 to 20/07/2022 2 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 27 day(s)     27817/16 04/08/2016 Cristian ‑ Florin CIOBANU 1978     Arad Prison 24/12/2019 to 30/06/2022 2 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 7 day(s)     28379/16 10/08/2016 Ionel MIHALCEA 1966     Bacău, Focșani, Gherla, Brăila, Arad, Rahova, Găești, Botoșani, Iași and Galați Prisons 08/08/2014 to 21/07/2023 3 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 28 day(s)     33496/16 14/10/2016 Ovidiu RĂCHITĂ 1978     Arad County Police Station; Bucharest General Police Inspectorate, Aiud, Giurgiu, Rahova, Arad and Timișoara Prisons; Jilava Hospital Prison 01/04/2009 to 17/12/2023 14 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 17 day(s)     33945/16 18/07/2016 Marius BOȚA 1966     Craiova Prison 16/06/2011 to 23/07/2012 1 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 8 day(s)   Craiova Prison 24/12/2019 to 10/11/2021 1 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 18 day(s)     34351/16 19/07/2016 Oane ‑ Daniel PEŢA 1979     Craiova, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Aiud, Târgu   Jiu and Mioveni Prisons 23/12/2019 to 21/05/2022 2 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 29 day(s)     36020/16 19/07/2016 Mihai ANGHELACHE 1974     Mărgineni Prison 02/11/2009 to 23/07/2012 2 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 22 day(s)   Mărgineni Prison 24/12/2019 to 09/05/2022 2 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 16 day(s)     68858/16 13/02/2017 Nicolae ‑ Florin POSTELNICU 1983     Giurgiu County Police Station; Giurgiu, Jilava and Craiova Prisons; Jilava, Dej and Mioveni (Colibași) Prison Hospitals 30/03/2002 to 19/02/2023 20 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 21 day(s)   9496/18 29/03/2018 Iulian ŢIGĂNILĂ 1963     Argeș and Dolj County Police Stations, Bucharest General Police Inspectorate; Mioveni, Craiova, Arad, Rahova and Giurgiu Prisons 10/09/2000 to 23/07/2012 11 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 14 day(s)   Arad Prison 01/02/2013 to 01/09/2018 5 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 1 day(s)   Mioveni Prison 24/12/2019 to 01/06/2021 1 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 9 day(s)   26238/18 14/05/2018 Vasile ‑ Adrian FANEA 1977 Nicoleta Trif Arad Sibiu County Police Station; Aiud, Rahova, Deva and Timişoara Prisons 08/09/2007 to 23/07/2012 4 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 16 day(s)   Aiud and Deva Prisons 23/12/2019 to 23/03/2022 2 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 1 day(s)   9408/19 12/03/2019 Mihai AGÎŢEI-ARHIP 1976     Bacău County Police Station; Bacău, Iaşi, Galaţi and Vaslui Prisons 27/09/2016 to 16/08/2022 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 21 day(s)   59761/19 14/02/2020 Sava MOLDOVAN 1977 Cezara ‑ Maria Nichita ‑ Costescu Timișoara Satu Mare and Timişoara Prisons 22/08/2019 to 27/01/2022 2 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 6 day(s)   6094/20 11/03/2020 Hristodor MUNTEANU 1971     Vaslui County Police Station 21/05/2012 to 23/07/2012 2 month(s) and 3 day(s)   Iași and Arad Prison 23/12/2019 to 30/03/2023 3 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 8 day(s)   11111/20 17/08/2020 Augustin PANCZI 1977     Arad Prison 24/07/2006 to 16/10/2018 12 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 23 day(s)   Arad, Deva and Timișoara Prisons 23/12/2019 to 22/11/2023 3 year(s) and 11 month(s)   29202/20 18/08/2020 Ionuţ ‑ Cătălin COSTEA 1985     Craiova and Drobeta-Turnu Severin Prisons 12/12/2019 to 11/08/2021 1 year(s) and 8 month(s)   35306/20 27/08/2020 Jenică VACARIU 1958     Rahova and Gherla Prisons 23/12/2019 to 20/01/2022 2 year(s) and 29 day(s)   12350/21 20/05/2021 Petrică OPREA 1983 Irina   Maria Peter Bucharest Giurgiu County Police Station; Mioveni Prison; Jilava Prison Hospital 23/12/2019 to 06/06/2021 1 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 15 day(s)   25567/21 26/06/2021 Ionică ‑ Mădălin GROSU 1990     Caraș-Severin County Police Station; Timișoara, Rahova, Craiova and Arad Prisons 03/09/2010 to 15/06/2022 11 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 13 day(s)