21609/20

FIRST SECTION CASE OF BOLJEVIĆ AND OTHERS v. MONTENEGRO (Application no. 21609/20)             JUDGMENT This version was rectified on 27 June 2024 under Rule 81 of the Rules of Court.     STRASBOURG 25 April 2024     This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.   In the case of Boljević and Others v. Montenegro, The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:  Péter Paczolay, President,  Gilberto Felici,  Raffaele Sabato, judges, and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 4 April 2024, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.  The case originated in an application against Montenegro lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on 10 April 2020. 2.  The applicants were represented by Mr B. Ćupić, a lawyer practising in Podgorica. 3.  The Montenegrin Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the application. THE FACTS 4.  The applicants’ details and information relevant to the application are set out in the appended table. 5.  The applicants complained of the non-enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies. 6.  On 18 July 2019 the Constitutional Court found a violation of the applicants’ rights under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention on account of non-enforcement. The applicants were awarded 2,000 euros (EUR) each in non-pecuniary damage. However, the domestic decisions under consideration remain unenforced until the present day. THE LAW ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION AND OF ARTICLE 1 OF PROTOCOL No. 1 7.  The applicants complained principally of the non-enforcement of domestic decisions given in their favour. They relied on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and on Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. 8.  The Court reiterates that the execution of a judgment given by any court must be regarded as an integral part of a “hearing” for the purposes of Article 6. It also refers to its case-law concerning the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of final domestic judgments (see Hornsby v. Greece, no. 18357/91, § 40, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1997‑II). 9.  The Court further notes that the decisions in the present case ordered specific action to be taken. The Court therefore considers that the decisions in question constitute “possessions” within the meaning of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. 10.  In the leading cases of R. Kačapor and Others v. Serbia (nos. 2269/06 and 5 others, §§ 97-99, 106-16 and 119-20, 15 January 2008), and Mijanović v. Montenegro (no. 19580/06, §§ 81-91, 17 September 2013), the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case. 11.  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 authorities did not deploy all necessary efforts to enforce fully and in due time the decisions in the applicants’ favour. 12.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION 13.  Regard being had to the documents in its possession and its own case‑law (see, in particular, R. Kačapor and Others, cited above, §§ 123-26; Stošić v. Serbia, no. 64931/10, §§ 66-68, 1 October 2013; and Mastilović and Others v. Montenegro, no. 28754/10, § 52, 24 February 2022) the Court considers it reasonable not to award the applicants compensation in respect of non-pecuniary damage because it has already been awarded domestically (see paragraph 6 above), but to award the sum for costs and expenses indicated in the appended table. 14.  The Court further notes that the respondent State has an outstanding obligation to enforce the domestic decisions which remain enforceable. FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY, Declares the application admissible; Holds that this application discloses a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 concerning the non‑enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State‑owned companies; Holds that the respondent State shall ensure, by appropriate means, within three months, the enforcement of the pending domestic decisions referred to in the appended table; Holds (a)  that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amount indicated in the appended table 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 amount 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 25 April 2024, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.    Viktoriya Maradudina Péter Paczolay  Acting Deputy Registrar President       APPENDIX Application raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions given against socially/State-owned companies) Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Year of birth   Representative’s name and location Relevant domestic decision Start date of non-enforcement period End date of non-enforcement period Length of enforcement proceedings Amount awarded for costs and expenses per application (in euros)[1] 21609/20 10/04/2020 (66 applicants) Goran BOLJEVIĆ Tatjana BOLJEVIĆ Slobodan ŠOĆ Veselin MARTINOVIĆ Slavica BULATOVIĆ Đina JANINOVIĆ Đon IVEZIĆ Dragoljub VUKČEVIĆ Ana IVANOVIĆ Bajram KOĆIĆ Rajko RADULOVIĆ Goran RADONJIĆ Žarko MADŽAROVIĆ Radmila LAKOVIĆ Zdravko ČAĐENOVIĆ Željko ĐUKANOVIĆ Nataša DRAGOJEVIĆ Simuna MATKOVIĆ Savo GLOBAREVIĆ Milenko JOVANOVIĆ Ibrahim TUZOVIĆ Slobodan SEKULOVIĆ Boško POPOVIĆ Miodrag PRELEVIĆ Biserka ZLATIČANIN Dragan STAMATOVIĆ Ilija PEŠIĆ Radovan MILAŠEVIĆ Goran PEJOVIĆ   Radovan ŠĆEKIĆ Luka PEROVIĆ Danilo MILIĆ Zorka MARKOVIĆ Žikica GARČEVIĆ Duško BUŠKULIĆ Stanica STANIŠIĆ Veselinka BOJANIĆ Zorica RADOJEVIĆ Slavka PETROVIĆ Tomislav ŠIŠEVIĆ Milenka RADULOVIĆ Spasoje GRBA Tatjana RAČIĆ Milan MARKOVIĆ Radmila ĐURIŠIĆ Sanja LEKOVIĆ   Goran KALEZIĆ Miodrag ŠĆEPANOVIĆ Veljko RADUNOVIĆ Ilinka MILIĆ Lazar LAZAREVIĆ Slavica ŠUNDIĆ Milan RADULOVIĆ Cvetko MARAŠ Miljan KLJALJIĆ Veselin ĐUROVIĆ Slavica VUČUROVIĆ Jagoš OBRADOVIĆ Sava MARJANOVIĆ [2]             Household Nikola MIRKOVIĆ Danka POPOVIĆ Danilo MIRKOVIĆ   Household Nevenka MILIČKOVIĆ Nada POTPARA Željko DŽOGAZOVIĆ   Ćupić Branislav Podgorica Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicants Pešić, Radulović Milenka, Matković, Milić I., Bulatović, Janinović, Leković, Dragojević, Džogazović, Potpara and Miličković, Zlatičanin, Kljajić, Madžarović, Šoć, Jovanović, Marjanović, Globarević, Lazarević, Bojanić, Garčević, Buškulić, Radojević, and Radulović Milan), 03/07/2009     Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicants Martinović, Čađenović, Vukčević, Maraš, Radunović, Marković M., Tuzović, Radonjić, Ivezić, Radulović R., Boljević T.), 10/09/2009     Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicants Sekulović, Šćekić, Popović, Grba, Đurišić, and Marković Z.), 15/07/2009 Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicant Djukanovic), 10/09/2009     Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicant Kalezić), 04/12/2009     Court of First Instance (applicant Obradović), 27/01/2010     Court of First Instance (applicants Petrović, Boljević G., and Laković), 27/01/2010     Court of First Instance (applicant Šundić), 18/12/2009     Court of First Instance (applicants Ivanović A., Šišević, and Đurović), 22/02/2010           Court of First Instance (applicants Prelević, Vučurović, Pejović, Šćepanović, and Mirković N, Mirković N, and Popović D.), 16/11/2009     Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicant Obradović), 07/10/2010     Court of First Instance (applicants Pešić, Radulović M., Matković, Milić I., Janinović, Leković, Dragojević, Džogazović, Potpara and Miličković, Kljajić, Madžarović, Šoć, Jovanović M., Marjanović, Globarević, Lazarević, Bojanić, Garčević, Buškulić, Radojević, Martinović, Čađenović, Vukčević, Maraš, Radunović, Marković M., Tuzović, Radonjić, Ivezić, Radulović R., Boljević T., Sekulović, Šćekić, Popović, Grba, Đurišić, Marković Z., Obradovic, Radulović M., Zlatičanin, Stanišić, Perović, Koćić, Račić, and Stamatović), 07/10/2010     Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicant Boljević G.), 06/12/2012     Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicants Pešić, Radulović M., Matković, Milić I., Janinović, Leković, Dragojević, Džogazović, Potpara and Miličković, Kljajić, Madžarević, Šoć, Jovanović M., Marjanović, Globarević, Lazarević, Bojanić, Garčević, Buškulić, Radojević, Martinović, Čađenović, Vukčević, Maraš, Radunović, Marković M., Tuzović, Radonjić, Ivezić, Radulović R., Boljević T., Sekulović, Šćekić, Grba, Đurišić, Marković Z., Obradović, Radulović M., Zlatičanin, Stanišić, Koćić, Račić, Stamatović, Milić D., Milašević, Prelević, Vučurović, Pejović, Šćepanović, Mirković N., Mirković N., and Popović D., Kalezić, Đukanović, Šundić, Petrović, Boljević G., and Laković), 11/07/2014     Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicant Laković), 06/12/2012     Court of First Instance Podgorica (applicants Pešić, Radulović Milenka, Matković, Milić I., Janinović, Leković, Madžarović, Šoć, Jovanović M., Marjanović, Globarević, Lazarević, Bojanić, Garčević, Buškulić, Radojević, Martinović, Čađenović, Vukčević, Maraš, Radunović, Marković M., Tuzović, Radonjić, Ivezić, Radulović R., Boljević T., Sekulović, Šćekić, Popović, Grba, Đurišić, Marković Z., Obradović, Radulović M., Zlatičanin, Stanišić, Perović, Račić, Stamatović, Radulović Milan, Koćić, Milić D., Prelević, Vučurović, Pejović, Mirković N., Mirković D, and Popović D., Kalezić, Đukanović, Šundić, and Petrović S.), 06/12/2012     Commercial Court of Montenegro 16/10/2017[3]   25/09/2009                       22/12/2009               22/12/2009       10/03/2010         10/03/2010         31/03/2010         31/03/2010           20/05/2010         30/06/2010                 17/09/2010             22/02/2011         24/01/2013                                   11/12/2013         11/07/2014                                           27/02/2015         31/07/2015                                       28/11/2017   pending more than 14 years, 5 months and 20 days                     pending more than 14 years, 2 months and 23 days             pending more than 14 years, 2 months and 23 days     pending more than 14 years and 6 days       pending more than 14 years and 6 days       pending more than 13 years, 11 months and 16 days       pending more than 13 years, 11 months and 16 days         pending more than 13 years, 9 months and 25 days       pending more than 13 years, 8 months and 16 days               pending more than 13 years, 5 months and 28 days           pending more than 13 years and 23 days       pending more than 11 years, 1 month and 21 days                                 pending more than 10 years, 3 months and 5 days       pending more than 9 years, 8 months and 5 days                                         pending more than 9 years and 18 days       pending more than 8 years, 7 months and 16 days                                     pending more than 6 years, 3 months and 17 days       [1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants. [2] Rectified on 27 June 2024: the name of Ms Nika Ljuljđurović was removed from the table. [3] Rectified on 27 June 2024: the name of Ms Nika Ljuljđurović was removed from the table.