53013/15;56330/15;62385/15;1372/16;2434/16;4062/16;5448/16;12414/16;20627/16;59876/16

FOURTH SECTION             CASE OF MARIUS-SILVIU POPESCU AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA (Application no. 53013/15 and 9 other applications - see appended list)                 JUDGMENT     STRASBOURG   16 May 2019           This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.   In the case of Marius-Silviu Popescu and Others v. Romania, The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:  Georges Ravarani, President,  Marko Bošnjak,  Péter Paczolay, judges, and Liv Tigerstedt, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 25 April 2019, 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.  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). 8.  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. 9.  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 applicants’ conditions of detention were inadequate. 10.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 3 of the Convention. III.  APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION 11.  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.” 12.  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. 13.  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 applications admissible;   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 16 May 2019, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.  Liv Tigerstedt Georges Ravarani 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 Date of birth Representative’s 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]     53013/15 11/11/2015 Marius-Silviu Popescu 20/03/1971 Irina Maria Peter Bucarest Bucharest 13th Police Section and Rahova, Giurgiu and Jilava Prisons 13/06/2013 to 19/01/2016 2 years, 7 months and 7 days 1.5 – 2.4 m² Overcrowding (save for the period between 30/05/2014-11/08/2014 and between 13/08/2014-29/05/2015), bunk beds, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of or insufficient natural light, lack of fresh air, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air (save for Giurgiu Prison), infestation of cell with insects/rodents, inadequate temperature, no or restricted access to potable water   3,000     56330/15 29/02/2016 Gherase Anton 27/10/1969 Irina Maria Peter Bucarest Jilava Prison 18/06/2015 pending More than 3 years, 9 months and 4 days   2 m² Overcrowding (between 18/06/2015 - 25/09/2015), poor quality of potable water, poor quality of food, infestation of cell with insects/rodents 3,000     62385/15 17/02/2016 Dumitru Chipcea 01/09/1961     Vaslui Police Arrest and Vaslui and Iași Prisons 10/12/2008 18/03/2019 10 years, 3 months and 9 days 1.2 - 2.4 m² Overcrowding, insufficient number of sleeping places (between 27/03/2009 - 11/06/2009), no or restricted access to toilet, no or restricted access to shower, lack of or inadequate furniture, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, poor quality of food, lack of fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or insufficient natural light, no or restricted access to potable water, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air 5,000     1372/16 22/01/2016 Constantin Alecu 06/05/1992     Codlea Prison 19/06/2015 to 10/12/2015 5 months and 22 days   Miercurea Ciuc Prison 10/12/2015 pending More than 3 years, 3 months and 11 days 1.5 m²         1.7 - 1.8 m² Overcrowding, poor quality of food, lack of or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents     Overcrowding, poor quality of food, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air 3,000     2434/16 01/02/2016 Vasilică Radu 12/06/1967     Bucharest Central Arrest 27/09/2013 to 09/10/2013 13 days   Bucharest Police Section no. 6 09/10/2013 to 05/11/2013 28 days Rahova, Giurgiu and Jilava Prisons 05/11/2013 pending More than 5 years, 4 months and 17 days 2.3 m²         2.4 m²         1.8-2.8 m² Overcrowding, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of fresh air       Overcrowding         Overcrowding, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, inadequate temperature, lack of fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food, lack of or inadequate furniture, poor quality of potable water   5,000     4062/16 15/02/2016 Liviu Moldovan 24/09/1963     Aiud, Arad, Colibași, Codlea, Mărgineni, Iași, Poarta Albă, Rahova, Slobozia, Craiova, Gherla, Miercurea Ciuc, Bistrița, Oradea, Timișoara, Deva Prisons 17/04/1997 pending More than 21 years, 11 months and 5 days 1.2 - 2.9 m² Overcrowding (save for the period between 14/03/2011-26/04/2011 and between 18/07/2014-25/09/2014), lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, mouldy or dirty cell, poor quality of food, lack of or inadequate furniture, bunk beds, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, no or restricted access to shower, inadequate temperature, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, insufficient number of sleeping places   5,000     5448/16 18/03/2016 Adrian Călin 18/02/1982     Bacău Police Arrest, Bacău, Iași, Tulcea and Vaslui Prisons and Târgu Ocna Prison Hospital 12/09/2011 - pending More than 7 years, 6 months and 8 days 1.2 – 2.9 m² Overcrowding (save for the period between 12/09/2011–06/12/2011 and between 07/09/2012-28/09/2012), lack of privacy for toilet (Bacău Police Arrest), lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient natural light, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or inadequate furniture, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air (Bacău Police Arrest)   5,000     12414/16 05/04/2016 Vlad Papazul 30/04/1976 Irina Maria Peter Bucarest Bucharest 6th Police Arrest 08/09/2015 to 13/10/2015 1 month and 6 days     Rahova Prison 13/10/2015 to 19/09/2016 11 months and 7 days             Rahova Prison 01/03/2019 pending More than 26 days 2.3 m²           1.9 m²                   1.9 m² Overcrowding, no place to serve meal, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food   Overcrowding (save for the period between 03/11/2015 - 19/09/2016), poor quality of food, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, lack of toiletries, inadequate temperature, lack of fresh air   Overcrowding, poor quality of food, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, lack of toiletries, inadequate temperature, lack of fresh air   3,000     20627/16 31/05/2016 Cristian Chiriac 24/12/1979     Galați Prison 11/03/2013 to 03/09/2018 5 years, 5 months and 24 days 1.2-2.2 m² Overcrowding, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, lack of or inadequate furniture, no or restricted access to potable water, lack of fresh air, poor quality of food 5,000   59876/16 05/10/2016 Andrei-Romulus Cazac 01/08/1988 Virág Sándor Sfântu Gheorghe Brașov Police Arrest, Codlea and Miercurea Ciuc Prisons 16/02/2016 pending More than 3 years, 1 month and 4 days 1.2 - 2.2 m² Overcrowding (save for the period between 16/02/2016-17/03/2016), no or restricted access to potable water, bunk beds, lack of or inadequate hygienic facilities, infestation of cell with insects/rodents 3,000   [1].  Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.