6250/23;9625/23;10702/23;11264/23;12910/23;13469/23;13790/23;13798/23;14240/23;14246/23;14360/23;14598/23;14601/23;14799/23;14930/23;14932/23;14988/23;15132/23;15142/23;15575/23;15763/23;15765/23;15768/23;16194/23;16429/23;25326/23;25345/23;25382/23;25402/23;25406/23

SECOND SECTION CASE OF BARKOV AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA (Applications nos. 6250/23 and 29 others – see appended list)             JUDGMENT   STRASBOURG 13 June 2024   This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Barkov and Others v. Russia, The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:  Lorraine Schembri Orland, President,  Frédéric Krenc,  Davor Derenčinović, judges, and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 23 May 2024, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.  The case originated in applications against Russia 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 Russian Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the applications. 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 disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of public assemblies. Some applicants also raised other complaints under the provisions of the Convention. THE LAW 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. JURISDICTION 6.  The Court observes that the facts giving rise to the alleged violations of the Convention occurred prior to 16 September 2022, the date on which the Russian Federation ceased to be a party to the Convention. The Court therefore decides that it has jurisdiction to examine the present applications (see Fedotova and Others v. Russia [GC], nos. 40792/10 and 2 others, §§ 68‑73, 17 January 2023). ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 11 OF THE CONVENTION 7.  The applicants complained principally of disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of public assemblies, namely their arrest in relation to the dispersal of these assemblies and their conviction for administrative offences. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 11 of the Convention. 8.  The Court refers to the principles established in its case-law regarding freedom of assembly (see Kudrevičius and Others v. Lithuania [GC], no. 37553/05, ECHR 2015, with further references) and proportionality of interference with it (see Oya Ataman v. Turkey, no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006‑XIV, and Hyde Park and Others v. Moldova, no. 33482/06, 31 March 2009). 9.  In the leading cases of Frumkin v. Russia, no. 74568/12, ECHR 2016 (extracts), Navalnyy and Yashin v. Russia, no. 76204/11, 4 December 2014 and Kasparov and Others v. Russia, no. 21613/07, 3 October 2013, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case. 10.  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 as to 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 interferences with the applicants’ freedom of assembly were not “necessary in a democratic society”. 11.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS UNDER WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW 12.  Some applicants submitted other complaints which also raised issues under the Convention, given the relevant well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table). These complaints are not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, nor are they inadmissible on any other ground. Accordingly, they must be declared admissible. 13.  Having examined all the material before it, the Court concludes that these complaints also disclose violations of the Convention in the light of its findings in Butkevich v. Russia, no. 5865/07, §§ 63-65, 13 February 2018, Tsvetkova and Others v. Russia, nos. 54381/08 and 5 others, §§ 115-31, 10 April 2018, and Korneyeva v. Russia, no. 72051/17, §§ 34-36, 8 October 2019, as to various aspects of unlawful deprivation of liberty of organisers or participants of public assemblies; and Karelin v. Russia, no. 926/08, §§ 58‑85, 20 September 2016, concerning the absence of a prosecuting party in the proceedings under the Code of Administrative Offences (the CAO). REMAINING COMPLAINTS 14.  Some applicants raised further additional complaint under Article 6 of the Convention concerning the fairness of the administrative-offence proceedings. In view of the findings in the paragraphs above, the Court considers that there is no need to deal separately with this remaining complaint. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION 15.  Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see in particular Navalnyy and Others v. Russia [Committee], nos. 25809/17 and 14 others, § 22, 4 October 2022), the Court finds it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table. FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY, Decides to join the applications; Holds that it has jurisdiction to deal with these applications as they relate to facts that took place before 16 September 2022; Declares the complaints under Article 11 of the Convention and the other complaints under the well-established case-law of the Court, as set out in the appended table, admissible, and finds that there is no need to examine separately the remaining complaints under Article 6 of the Convention; Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention; Holds that there has been a violation of the Convention as regards the other complaints raised under the well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table); 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 13 June 2024, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court. Orland  Viktoriya Maradudina Lorraine Schembri Orland  Acting Deputy Registrar President     APPENDIX List of applications raising complaints under Article 11 of the Convention (disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies) No. Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Year of birth Representative’s name and location Name of the public event Location Date Administrative / criminal offence Penalty Final domestic decision Court Name Date Other complaints under well-established case-law Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros)[1]     6250/23 22/12/2022 Ilya Yuryevich BARKOV     Anti-war protest   Moscow   25/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 20,000 Moscow City Court 23/08/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 25/02/2022 until 26/02/2022,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings 4,000     9625/23 15/02/2023 Gennadiy Aleksandrovich SMIRNOV Anna Yevgenyevna Bochilo Barnaul Anti-war protest   Moscow   24/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 Moscow City Court 18/10/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 24/02/2022 until 25/02/2022 4,000     10702/23 15/02/2023 Sergey Alekseyevich PESHKOV     Anti-war protest   Moscow   24/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 20,000 Moscow City Court 19/10/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 24/02/2022 until 25/02/2022 4,000     11264/23 03/02/2023 Roman Aleksandrovich IVANOV     Anti-war protest   Moscow   24/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 Moscow City Court 03/10/2022   3,500     12910/23 02/03/2023 Yekaterina Vasilyevna LITVINCHUK     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 Moscow City Court 23/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000     13469/23 01/03/2023 Tatyana Olegovna TERENTYEVA     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 20,000 Moscow City Court 03/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000     13790/23 13/02/2023 Yuliya Aleksandrovna MINAYEVA     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 13/10/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000     13798/23 19/02/2023 Kamilla Sergeyevna VASILYEVA     Anti-war protest   Moscow   03/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 Moscow City Court 27/10/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 03/03/2022 until 04/03/2022 4,000     14240/23 16/03/2023 Boris Anatolyevich CHERNYSHEV     Anti-war protest   Moscow   24/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 5,000 Moscow City Court 21/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 24/02/2022 until 25/02/2022 4,000   14246/23 15/03/2023 Fedor Borisovich PAVLOV     Anti-war protest   Moscow   24/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 20,000 Moscow City Court 17/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 24/02/2022 until 25/02/2022 4,000   14360/23 21/03/2023 Boris Vladimirovich IVANOV Anna Yevgenyevna Bochilo Barnaul Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 25/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   14598/23 11/03/2023 Tatyana Vladimirovna MUSIYENKO     Anti-war protest   Moscow   24/02/2022 article 20.2 § 8 of CAO detention of 7 days Moscow City Court 15/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 24/02/2022 until 25/02/2022 5,000   14601/23 21/03/2023 Kirill Aleksandrovich SHISHOV     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 25/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   14799/23 24/03/2023 Konstantin Valeryevich YEREMIN     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 Moscow City Court 25/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   14930/23 21/03/2023 Andrey Nikolayevich GLAZUNOV     Anti-war protest   Moscow   28/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 21/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 28/02/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   14932/23 21/03/2023 Irina Valeryevna BELOVA Oleg Vladimirovich Filatchev Moscow Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 20,000 Moscow City Court 23/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   14988/23 22/03/2023 Yevgeniya Pavlovna FADEYEVA     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 Moscow City Court 25/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   15132/23 11/03/2023 Yevgeniy Anatolyevich KONDRATYEV     Anti-war protest   Moscow   27/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 11/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 27/02/2022 until 28/02/2022 4,000   15142/23 23/03/2023 Ella Maruanovna SAAD     Anti-war protest   Moscow   27/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 19/12/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 27/02/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   15575/23 21/03/2023 Daniil Grigoryevich KUNIS Yuliya Valeryevna Malinina Moscow Anti-war protest   Moscow   24/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 21/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 24/02/2022 until 25/02/2022 4,000   15763/23 18/03/2023 Dmitriy Gennadyevich MUKHIN     Anti-war protest   Moscow   03/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 Moscow City Court 21/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 03/03/2022 until 04/03/2022 4,000   15765/23 18/03/2023 Alina Vladimirovna TROFIMOVA     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 Moscow City Court 21/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   15768/23 23/03/2023 Maksim Andreyevich SHMOYLOV     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 20,000 Moscow City Court 01/12/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   16194/23 23/03/2023 Darya Nikolayevna VAYDA Oleg Vladimirovich Filatchev Moscow Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 25/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   16429/23 24/03/2023 Yevgeniy Lvovich AYZENSHTAT     Anti-war protest   Moscow   24/02/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 25/11/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 24/02/2022 until 25/02/2022 4,000   25326/23 09/06/2023 Aleksandr Valentinovich ANDREYEV Arkadiy Vitalyevich Shindyapin Moscow Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 Moscow City Court 03/05/2023 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   25345/23 07/06/2023 Sergey Gennadyevich RIDINGER     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 09/02/2023 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 06/03/2022 until 07/03/2022 4,000   25382/23 05/06/2023 Viktor Vasilyevich BALABANOV     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 Moscow City Court 07/02/2023 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 06/03/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   25402/23 06/06/2023 Rinata Aleksandrovna YANOSH     Anti-war protest   Moscow   06/03/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 06/02/2023 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 06/03/2022 until 07/03/2022 4,000   25406/23 07/06/2023 Olga Alekseyevna KURICHEVA     Anti-war protest   Moscow   02/04/2022 article 20.2 § 5 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 Moscow City Court 07/02/2023 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 02/04/2022 for compiling an offence report 4,000   [1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.