8318/20

FIRST SECTION CASE OF ADROVIĆ AND OTHERS v. MONTENEGRO (Application no. 8318/20)             JUDGMENT   STRASBOURG 11 April 2024   This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Adrović 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 21 March 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 24 December 2019. 2.  The applicants were represented by Mr D. Prelević, 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 30 May 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 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, expressly or in substance, on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and on Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. 8.  The Government submitted that the applicants had failed to inform the Court that they had received payment in the amount of approximately 6% of the main debt before the case was communicated to the Government. They invited the Court to reject the application as an abuse of the right of individual application in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 (a) and 4 of the Convention. 9.  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). 10.  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. 11.  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. 12.  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. In particular, as regards the Government’s argument (see paragraph 8 above), the Court notes that the payment in question concerned minor percentage of the applicants’ claims and that, at the time of the communication of the case, the substantial part of their claims remained unenforced. The Government’s objection must therefore be rejected. 13.  Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court rejects the Government’s objection and 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. 14.  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 15.  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 them jointly a sum for costs and expenses indicated in the appended table. 16.  The Court further notes that the respondent State has an outstanding obligation to enforce the judgments 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 jointly, within three months, the amount 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 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 11 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] 8318/20 24/12/2019 (356 applicants) Zifo ADROVIĆ Grujica PERIŠIĆ Boris RADOVIĆ Slobodan MILIĆ Duško BULATOVIĆ Danijela JEVRIĆ Stevan NEDOVIĆ Slavko OTAŠEVIĆ Rajko VUČINIĆ Slavko BOZOVIC Najdan BULATOVIĆ Nezir HUREMOVIĆ Vukosav KLJAJEVIĆ Boško MARTINOVIĆ Branislav NENADIĆ Petar ŠUNDIĆ Radoš VUJADINOVIĆ Slavko VUKOVIĆ Snežana AŠANIN Miljan BULATOVIĆ Veselin BULATOVIĆ Nada GRUJIĆ Slavka MARAŠ Savo SAVIČIĆ Milorad SEKULIĆ Veselin VUKADINOVIĆ Radomir ŽARKOVIĆ Vasko ĆETKOVIĆ Miladin LAKIĆEVIĆ   Emir MUSTAGRUDIĆ Radmila VUKMIROVIĆ Nada ĆETKOVIĆ Dragoljub DRAGOJEVIĆ Savo DROBNJAK Radosav KONJEVIĆ Zoran ŠĆEKIĆ Radoman BULATOVIĆ Diko GAZDIĆ Stanka GOVEDARICA Vesna LJUMOVIĆ Milenko MARAŠ Marija KLIKOVAC Predrag DEJANOVIĆ Goran FILIPOVIĆ Đorđije MUGOŠA Vidak VUKIĆEVIĆ   Milija DEDIĆ Stanuša JOVANOVIĆ Nikola LOPIČIĆ Goran PEJOVIĆ Neđeljko PETROVIĆ Zagorka PETROVIĆ Svetozar VUKČEVIĆ Ljubiša ASANOVIĆ Milan GOGIĆ Tomislav IVANOVIĆ Miladin NIKOLIĆ Slavka PETROVIĆ Vukić STANIĆ Živko VUJOVIĆ Dušica ŽIVALJEVIĆ Vukota ĐURIŠIĆ Veselin GAČEVIĆ   Božidar MALOVIĆ Dejan RADEVIĆ Senka RAKČEVIĆ Đerđ ĐOKIĆ Mirko GARDAŠEVIĆ Milojka KOVAČEVIĆ Milorad KOVAČEVIĆ Ivan POPOVIĆ Trajko RADIČKOVIĆ Đorđije DURKOVIĆ Dragan RADONJIĆ Slobodan RAIČEVIĆ Milorad BABIĆ Radisav BOŠKOVIĆ Novo DABANOVIĆ Ranko GARDAŠEVIĆ Slavko MEDENICA   Slavko VUKČEVIĆ Nevenka BOLJEVIĆ Milenko GARDAŠEVIĆ Dragoslav MARKOVIĆ Velimir OTAŠEVIĆ Veselin RADINOVIĆ Vukašin ŠĆEKIĆ Senka VIDIĆ Krsto GLOBAREVIĆ Zoran KLISIĆ Velimir RADINOVIĆ Halim BALIĆ Milorad BURZANOVIĆ Vidosava JOVANOVIĆ Marko OSTOJIĆ Zoran PEJATOVIĆ Milan PEJOVIĆ   Nataša RADINOVIĆ Milenko REŠETAR Vukomir GOLUBOVIĆ Gojko KALUĐEROVIĆ Natalija PERIĆ Rajko BOLJEVIĆ Vidosava BRNOVIĆ Lidija KALEZIĆ Jakša LEKOVIĆ Božidar MAROVIĆ Zdravko RADULOVIĆ Vida BOJANOVIĆ Dragan KOJIĆ Dušan MRDAK Božidar VLAHOVIĆ Andrija BRAJOVIĆ Ilija DEDIĆ   Radivoje DOBRAŠINOVIĆ Dragoljub KALEZIĆ Željka KALUĐEROVIĆ Milan KOVAČEVIĆ Drago KRALJEVIĆ Vojislav VUJOVIĆ Miloica ZINDOVIĆ Zarija BRNOVIĆ Vera RADOVIĆ Radovan MILIĆ Tomislav ŠĆEKIĆ Mihailo TOMOVIĆ Božidar ŠĆEKIĆ Branka JOVANOVIĆ Nataša MILOŠEVIĆ Mirjana RADOVIĆ Nela STOJANOVIĆ   Vera TRAJKOVIĆ Mira VLAHOVIĆ Gano ELEZOVIĆ Stanica KALEZIĆ Miloš RADULOVIĆ Radmila STOŽINIĆ Vanja ĐEKIĆ Radovan ŠĆEKIĆ Racko VUKČEVIĆ Anton LJUĐUROVIĆ Slavko VUJOTIĆ Duško BULATOVIĆ Vesna GILIĆ Petar JEVRIĆ Zdravko PETKOVIĆ Hamid ŠABOTIĆ Ljubomir VUKMIROVIĆ   Dragoljub JOVANOVIĆ Žarko PETROVIĆ Dragan SAVOVIĆ Dragan SEKULIĆ Tanja BAJOVIĆ Nataša BULATOVIĆ Ranko DARMANOVIĆ Milinko KRUNIĆ Milovan RABRENOVIĆ Petar KARANIKIĆ Momčilo BABIĆ Miloš JOVANOVIĆ Ika KAPETANOVIĆ Branko RAKČEVIĆ Radonja VLAHOVIĆ Dragan FILIPOVIĆ Zoran KEKOVIĆ   Hafiz CANOVIĆ Nikola BUKILIĆ Dragomir BOŠKOVIĆ Ljubiša VUKSANOVIĆ Veselin RADOVIĆ Jusuf MUHOVIĆ Momčilo JOKIĆ Draško BUKILIĆ Milorad BAJIĆ Ruždija TALJANOVIĆ Zlatana SMOLOVIĆ Milenko RADONJIĆ Zoran POPOVIĆ Marta MIRANOVIĆ Milka KULIĆ Novak RADULOVIĆ Milan MUGOŠA   Borislav MARKOVIĆ Rahman LJIKAJ Jovo JOVANOVIĆ Bajo ĐUROVIĆ Dragutin NIKOLIĆ Dragomir ZEČEVIĆ Novo RUTOVIĆ Momčilo RAKČEVIĆ Vera POPIVODA Miljan MILJKOVIĆ Milosava MARTIĆ Ismet BAJRAMOVIĆ Rajko VUKOVIĆ Dragić JELIĆ Milica DŽANKIĆ Mijomir CAMOVIĆ Slavka ZEČEVIĆ   Radojka VUKSANOVIĆ Radoje VLAHOVIĆ Branko PAJOVIĆ Ljuca IVEZAJ Darko ĐURIČKOVIĆ Čedomir FILIPOVIĆ Milorad JOKSOVIĆ Dragiša LAKIĆEVIĆ Velizar POPOVIĆ Ratko RADONJIĆ Želimir GLAVATOVIĆ Veselin MIROTIĆ Branislav MITROVIĆ Neđeljko MUGOŠA Novak RADONJIĆ Veselin RADULOVIĆ Radovan VUKOVIĆ   Svetozar BEŠOVIĆ Jadranka MEDOJEVIĆ Vesna RAKČEVIĆ Esad RAMOVIĆ Vlado ŠOFRANAC Žarko MUGOŠA Stanka NOVAKOVIĆ Bojan VUKOVIĆ Milorad BEČANOVIĆ Miladin ĆUPIĆ Džemalj ĐOKOVIĆ Dušanka MAŠKOVIĆ Safet ASANOVIĆ Snežana MIROTIĆ Miodrag RADUNOVIĆ Veselin KLIKOVAC Nenad RADINOVIĆ   Novka RADULOVIĆ Božidar TATAR Ferid ĆOSOVIĆ Veselin KAŽIĆ Slađana KOVAČEVIĆ Mara MINIĆ Faid PIROVIĆ Anđelko POPOVIĆ Milenko JOVANOVIĆ Radmila LAMBULIĆ Momir BEČANOVIĆ Đerđ ĐOKIĆ Radovan LUTOVAC Matija MIĆKOVIĆ Svetlana ČOLEVIĆ Melvida DECOVIĆ Isljam ĐOKOVIĆ   Ljiljana MILUTINOVIĆ Veliša POPOVIĆ Brahim ĐOKIĆ Halil HAKŠABANOVIĆ Zorica PUPOVIĆ Milovan STOJANOVIĆ Mihailo VUJOVIĆ Mirko MARUNOVIĆ Slavko RADIČKOVIĆ Frano VULJAJ Dejan BOLJEVIĆ Milić ĐURIŠIĆ Elmedin HADŽIMUHOVIĆ Novelja JELIĆ Stjefan LJAJČAJ Mustafa OSMANAGIĆ Sanja PAJOVIĆ   Slobodan RADULOVIĆ Miloš RAIČEVIĆ Mihailo RAKOČEVIĆ Božidar RAŠOVIĆ Zoran VUKAŠEVIĆ Sonja SEKULIĆ Slavko STOJANOVIĆ Boris JOVIĆEVIĆ Đuro POPOVIĆ Milanka ŠĆEPANOVIĆ Slobodan VUKČEVIĆ Zorka ZINDOVIĆ Jelena BABIĆ Zoran JANKOVIĆ Stanuša ŠUKOVIĆ Vukica KANDIĆ Nikola ŠOŠKIĆ   Ljubo TERZIĆ Milorad KOMNENIĆ Milan RADULOVIĆ Ranko VUKČEVIĆ Vladimir BOŽOVIĆ Radislav KUKOVIĆ Radoslav PEJOVIĆ Goran RADULOVIĆ Žarko SAVOVIĆ Blagota VUKOSLAVOVIĆ Milosav BJELOGRLIĆ Vesna BOŽOVIĆ Vučeta MARKOVIĆ Velizar SEKULOVIĆ Veselin ASANOVIĆ Velimir KAPETANOVIĆ Blago KRSTOVIĆ   Jugoslav MAŠKOVIĆ Goranka MIJAILOVIĆ Milijana VUKČEVIĆ Goran DEDIĆ Radmila LAKOVIĆ Nataša LEKOVIĆ Jovanka LUTOVAC Svetislav MARAŠ Vesko ŠĆEKIĆ Željko VUKČEVIĆ Dragan BURZANOVIĆ Nikola GOJČEVIĆ Čedo KOJOVIĆ Dušanka LALEVIĆ Nataša NIKOLIĆ Žarko PETROVIĆ Spasoje RADINOVIĆ   Miloš VUKAŠINOVIĆ Goran BOLJEVIĆ Ljubomir BORIČIĆ Zoran KALUĐEROVIĆ Milorad STOŽINIĆ Darko JOLIĆ Savo RADULOVIĆ Milivoje BRNOVIĆ Rajko IVANOVIĆ   Household Biljana BIGOVIC Ivana BIGOVIĆ Marija BIGOVIĆ Vesna BIGOVIĆ Nikola BIGOVIĆ Marko BIGOVIĆ       Household Mihajlo BULATOVIĆ Ivan BULATOVIĆ   Household Igor BULATOVIĆ Nikola BULATOVIĆ   Household Mladen GLOBAREVIĆ Miroslav GLOBAREVIĆ Miroljub GLOBAREVIĆ   Household Darinka DELIBAŠIĆ Gojko PEROVIĆ   Household Miloš MILOŠEVIĆ Boris MILOŠEVIĆ         Household Slađana ŠĆEPANOVIĆ Boris ŠĆEPANOVIĆ   Household Milan VUJISIĆ Ivana ZEČEVIĆ Marijana ĆULAFIĆ   Household Valentina VUKOSLAVOVIĆ JAĆIMOVIĆ Mirjana VUKOSLAVOVIĆ   Household Zorana POPIVODA Miodrag POPIVODA Gordana POPIVODA Jelena POPIVODA Lana POPIVODA Prelević Dragan Podgorica Commercial Court of Montenegro 16/10/2017         Commercial Court of Montenegro 28/11/2017   16/10/2017           28/11/2017   pending more than 6 years, 4 months and 4 days       pending more than 6 years, 2 months and 23 days       [1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.