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FIFTH
SECTION
CASE OF PETUKHOV v. UKRAINE
(Application
no. 43374/02)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
21 October
2010
This
judgment will become final in the circumstances set out in Article 44
§ 2 of the Convention. It may be subject to editorial
revision.
In the case of Petukhov v.
Ukraine,
The
European Court of Human Rights (Fifth Section), sitting as a Chamber
composed of:
Peer Lorenzen, President,
Renate
Jaeger,
Rait Maruste,
Isabelle
Berro-Lefèvre,
Mirjana Lazarova
Trajkovska,
Zdravka Kalaydjieva,
Ganna
Yudkivska, judges,
and Claudia
Westerdiek, Section
Registrar,
Having
deliberated in private on 28 September 2010,
Delivers
the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
PROCEDURE
- The
case originated in an application (no. 43374/02) against Ukraine
lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the
Convention”) by a Ukrainian national, Mr Vladimir Sergeyevich
Petukhov (“the applicant”), on 12 November 2002.
- The
applicant, who had been granted legal aid, was represented by Mrs
Iryna Boykova and Mrs Lyudmyla Pankratova, lawyers practising in
Kyiv. The Ukrainian Government (“the Government”) were
represented by their Agent, Mr Y. Zaytsev, of the Ministry of Justice
of Ukraine.
- The
applicant alleged, in particular, under Articles 3 and 13 of the
Convention that his medical treatment in detention had not been
adequate and that there was no effective remedy in respect of this
complaint. He further alleged under Article 5 §§ 1 and 3
and Article 6 § 1 of the Convention that his detention on remand
had been unlawful and lengthy and that the proceedings whereby his
detention was extended had not been fair. The applicant finally
complained under Articles 6 § 1 and 13 of the Convention about
the length of the criminal proceedings and of a lack of an effective
remedy in respect of this complaint.
- On
6 November 2008 the President of the Fifth Section decided to give
notice of the application to the Government. It was also decided to
examine the merits of the application at the same time as its
admissibility (Article 29).
THE FACTS
I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE
- The
applicant was born in 1973 and is currently serving a life sentence
in Sokalska Correctional Colony no. 47 (Сокальська
виправна колонія
№ 47).
A. Criminal proceedings against the applicant
- On
6 June 2001 policemen attached to the Kominternovsky District Police
Department of Kharkiv (Комінтернівський
РВ ХМУ УМВС
України в Харківській
обл.), acting
on information from an unknown source, arrested
and detained the applicant on suspicion of murder and robbery. The
applicant stated that he had been arrested the day before, on 5 June
2001.
- On
8 June 2001 the applicant was questioned. He indicated that he did
not need a lawyer.
- On
9 June 2001 the applicant was transported to Kyiv, where he was
placed in the Minsky District Temporary Detention Centre (Мінський
районний ізолятор
тимчасового
тримання).
- On
12 June 2001 the Prosecutor’s Office of the Minsky District of
Kyiv (Прокуратура
Мінського
району м. Києва)
remanded the applicant in custody on the grounds that the applicant
could escape and obstruct justice.
- On
21 June 2001 formal charges were brought against the applicant on
several counts of murder and attempted murder, attempted murder of
police officers on duty, robbery and participation in an organised
gang. When questioned on the same day in the presence of his lawyer,
the applicant confessed to these charges.
- On
2 August 2001 the Minsky District Court of Kyiv extended the
applicant’s pre-trial detention to a maximum of four months
since “it was necessary to carry out a large scale
investigation”.
- On
5 October 2001 the Kyiv City Court of Appeal (hereinafter - “the
Court of Appeal”) decided to extend the term of his pre-trial
detention until 8 December 2001 given “the information on
the applicant’s personality” and the gravity of charges.
- On
29 November 2001 the investigator declared the pre-trial
investigation complete and granted the applicant and his lawyer
access to the case file, which they finished studying on 30 October
2002.
- On
9 December 2002, in the course of a preparatory hearing attended by
the applicant and his lawyer, the Court of Appeal found that the case
was not ready for consideration on the merits and decided to remit it
to the prosecution for further investigation. It also held that the
applicant should remain in pre-trial detention as he could obstruct
justice if released.
- On
24 April 2003, after a hearing attended by the applicant’s
lawyer, the Supreme Court of Ukraine upheld the decision of
9 December 2002 on the main points and decided that the
applicant should remain in pre-trial detention as he could obstruct
justice if released.
- On
19 June 2003 the applicant’s case file arrived from the Supreme
Court at the Prosecutor’s Office of the Obolonsky District of
Kyiv (Прокуратура
Оболонського
району
м. Києва).
- On
18 July 2003 the Court of Appeal examined the prosecution’s
application to extend the applicant’s pre-trial detention. The
applicant’s lawyer was present at this hearing and lodged an
unsuccessful request for the release of her client. The Court of
Appeal decided to extend the applicant’s pre-trial detention
for up to a maximum of nine months (according to the relevant legal
provisions, at the material time, the terms of pre-trial detention
applied only to the periods when the case was being investigated. The
time when the case was in the court, when the accused was studying
the case-file etc. were not taken into consideration). In doing so,
the court referred to the complexity of the case, the seriousness of
the crimes of which the applicant was accused, his personality and
the fact that he could obstruct justice if released.
- On
26 August 2003 the additional investigations were completed and on
the following day the applicant and his lawyer were given access to
the case file.
- On
17 September 2003 the Supreme Court of Ukraine, at the request of the
Prosecutor’s Office of the Obolonsky District of Kyiv, extended
the applicant’s pre-trial detention to a maximum of twelve
months. It based this decision on the seriousness of the charges.
- On
18 December 2003 the Supreme Court of Ukraine granted the
prosecution’s request to extend the applicant’s pre-trial
detention until 19 March 2004.
- On
16 March 2004 the applicant’s pre-trial detention was extended
by the Supreme Court of Ukraine until 19 May 2004. It took this
decision on the basis of the seriousness of the charges brought
against him. In this decision, the Supreme Court did not deal with
the request of the applicant’s lawyer to release her client on
medical grounds.
- On
18 May 2004 the Supreme Court of Ukraine dismissed the prosecution’s
application for a further extension of the applicant’s
pre-trial detention. The Supreme Court held that although the accused
had been studying the twelve volumes of case materials since 27
August 2003 and he still had around ten volumes to study, there was
no indication that the accused had deliberately delayed a trial.
According to the court, the case materials had not been properly
filed (in two volumes there were no lists of documents and pages were
numbered in pencil). Therefore, the Supreme Court concluded that the
investigation authorities had failed to properly present case-file
materials and there were no grounds for an extension of the
applicant’s detention on remand.
- On
19 May 2004 the Prosecutor General’s Office (Генеральна
Прокуратура
України)
asked the Supreme Court to lodge an application for an
extraordinary review of this decision, considering, inter alia,
that such decision would allow “persons who have committed
serious offences to avoid isolation from society”.
- On
the same day the applicant’s case file was sent to the Court of
Appeal for consideration on the merits.
- On
20 May 2004 five judges of the Supreme Court lodged an application
for extraordinary review (подання
в порядку виключного
провадження)
of the decision of 18 May 2004.
- In
the course of a joint session held on 21 May 2004 which was attended
by the prosecutor but not by the applicant or his lawyer, with judge
P. acting as judge-rapporteur, the Criminal and Military Boards
(Судова
палата з кримінальних
справ і Військова
колегія)
of the Supreme Court set aside the decision of 18 May 2004 on the
ground that the reasons given for the dismissal of the prosecution’s
request to extend the applicant’s detention were insufficient
and irrelevant, and ordered a rehearing. In particular, the court
held that the investigating officer could not limit the time for
studying the case file.
- On
24 May 2004 the Supreme Court granted the prosecution’s
application for an extension of the applicant’s pre-trial
detention until 19 June 2004, as the applicant still needed time
to study the case file. The court found no reason to release the
applicant.
- On
an unidentified date the case was transferred to the court for
consideration of the charges against the applicant.
- On
3 December 2004 the Court of Appeal found the applicant guilty as
charged and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The applicant’s
conviction was based on his initial confession statements, an
extensive amount of different evidence and statements from eleven
witnesses and ten victims. Three of his accomplices were also
sentenced to different terms of imprisonment. The applicant appealed.
- On
24 May 2005 the three Supreme Court judges, including judge P.,
upheld this judgment.
- On
30 May 2007 the Supreme Court rejected the applicant’s request
for review of his case under the extraordinary review procedure.
- Between
2005 and 2007 the applicant instituted proceedings against the judges
of the Court of Appeal complaining of different procedural
shortcomings in the course of consideration of his criminal case. All
of his complaints and subsequent appeals were rejected since the
applicant should have raised these complaints during the examination
of his case and not in a separate set of proceedings.
B. Conditions of the applicant’s detention
- Before
his arrest the applicant suffered from limited mobility caused by a
multiple fracture of
his left thigh which was the result of a gunshot wound. He had a
metallic plate fitted, but this became dislodged and caused a
deformation of the bone. As a consequence the applicant’s left
leg was 3 cm shorter than his right and he suffered from pains
in his left leg. According to a certificate issued by Yalta Town
Hospital (Ялтинська
міська лікарня)
on 10 January 2002, the applicant received in-patient treatment there
between 27 November and 12 December 2000 for a left thigh fracture
which, according to this certificate, required further surgery and
in patient treatment.
- On
8 August 2001 the applicant was transferred from the police detention
facility, where he had been held since June 2001, to Kyiv Pre Trial
Detention Centre no. 13 (Київський
слідчий ізолятор
№ 13,
(“SIZO no. 13”)).
- Upon
his arrival, the applicant was examined by a doctor. The chest X-ray
taken on 7 August 2001 revealed no abnormalities in the applicant’s
lungs.
- According
to the applicant, from the date of his admission and until 1 April
2003 he was subjected to a high security regime. In particular, he
was only allowed outside his cell when handcuffed and accompanied by
two guards with a prison dog in attendance. He was also held in a
metal cage during his lawyer’s visits and interviews by the
investigator.
- On
16 January 2002 the applicant was punished for an unspecified offence
with five days’ confinement in a punishment cell (карцер).
After this punishment he caught a cold, for which, according to the
applicant, he received no treatment.
- On
31 January 2002 the applicant’s lawyer requested a surgeon from
Polyclinic no. 3 of the Solomyansky District of Kyiv (Поліклініка
№ 3 Солом’янського
району м. Києва)
to give his opinion on the applicant’s orthopaedic problems.
The surgeon, having examined the applicant and his medical case file,
found that he had sustained a multiple fracture
of the left thigh and was suffering pain related to this fracture. He
needed further examination by an orthopaedist and in-patient
treatment in a specialist hospital. The applicant also required a
crutch, orthopaedic shoes and strong painkillers.
- In
March 2002 the applicant allegedly started to cough.
- On
21 and 22 August 2002 the applicant was examined by prison doctors
and diagnosed as suffering from infiltrative tuberculosis, pleurisy
and a compound fracture of the left thigh. On the latter date he was
moved to the medical wing of SIZO no. 13.
- According
to the Government, between 28 August and 15 October 2002 the
applicant refused to take medication but did not sign any such
refusal.
- In
a letter of 26 September 2002 the Head of the State Department for
Enforcement of Sentences (Державний
департамент
виконання
покарань)
stated that the applicant had been placed to a punishment
cell for 5 days and subjected to a high security regime; he was able
to walk without a crutch and had refused medical assistance for his
health problems.
- According
to a report of 10 October 2002 signed by the medical officer of the
State Department for Enforcement of Sentences and by the SIZO doctor,
the applicant had not complained about coughing between February and
April 2002. The applicant had special orthopaedic shoes but,
according to the surgeon’s conclusion, needed a crutch and
surgery. The applicant’s condition had been satisfactory. He
had been prescribed various medications but had only taken one of
them as he had wanted to receive medications from home.
- In
November 2002 the Kyiv Traumatology Institute (Київський
науково-дослідний
інститут
травматології
та ортопедії)
issued a certificate according to which the applicant did not need
surgery. The certificate was signed by a senior scientist (старший
науковий
співробітник).
- According
to the applicant, on 10 December 2002 he was again punished with five
days’ detention in a punishment cell. Since the temperature
there was lower and humidity higher than in the medical cell, the
applicant’s health deteriorated significantly.
- The
Government submitted that between 12 March and 28 April 2003 the
applicant again refused to take medication.
- In
October 2003 the applicant was examined by the Head of the
Orthopaedic Department of the Kyiv Medical Academy of Postgraduate
Studies (Кафедра
ортопедії
Київської
медичної академії
післядипломної
освіти)
who, in his opinion of 10 October 2003, stated that the applicant’s
compound fracture of the left thigh required in-patient treatment in
a specialist hospital.
- In
18 November 2003 the applicant’s state of health declined. He
had two X-rays, and medication was administered directly into the
pleural cavity. On 18 December 2003 the applicant was examined by P.,
a professor of phthisiology, who prescribed him further treatment.
- In
January 2004 the applicant’s tuberculosis was aggravated by a
pyopneumothorax (accumulation of pus in the pleural cavity) on
account of which he was transferred to the Institute of Phthisiology
and Pulmonology (Інститут
фтізіатрії
та пульмонології
(hereinafter - “the Institute”))
on 4 February 2004.
- On
5 February 2004 the administration of SIZO no. 13 asked the
investigator in charge of the applicant’s case to consider the
possibility of the releasing the applicant, referring, inter alia,
to the fact that his condition required a lengthy period of treatment
in a specialist hospital.
- On
21 February 2004 the Prosecutor of the Obolonskiy District of Kyiv
replied that the applicant’s detention had been extended by the
Supreme Court and that there were no reasons to change this decision.
- On
9 March 2004 the applicant was transferred from the Institute to SIZO
no. 13. According to the applicant, because his treatment at the
Institute had not been finished, he had still had tubes in his lungs
for draining pus and further antibiotic treatment when he was
transferred. He had received no such treatment in the SIZO and since
the place where the tubes were inserted had become infected, the
applicant had removed them himself.
- According to a letter, written in reply to a request
for information made by the applicant’s lawyer on 11 March 2004
and signed by the Institute’s head doctor, the head of the
relevant department and the treating doctor at the Institute, the
applicant’s treatment had consisted of pleural drainage and the
administration of antibiotics, carried out in parallel with intensive
anti-tuberculosis treatment. It was necessary to continue this
treatment in future. The doctors were aware of the applicant’s
orthopaedic problems, which aggravated his general condition, but
this had not affected his treatment for tuberculosis.
- On
24 March 2004 the applicant’s lawyer requested that medical
evidence be obtained in order to assess the applicant’s fitness
for detention in SIZO no. 13.
- In
a report of 19 April 2004 a panel of five experts from the Bureau of
Forensic Medical Examinations of the Kyiv City State Administration
(Бюро судово-медичної
експертизи
Головного
Управління
охорони здоров’я
та медичного
забезпечення
Київської
міської державної
адміністрації)
established that the applicant had sustained a compound
fracture of the left thigh which had resulted in a substantial
deformation of his left leg, causing limited mobility and
considerable pain. The continued failure of the prison authorities to
address this condition and his consequent reduced immunity may have
been the reason why the applicant had contracted tuberculosis. The
experts found that the applicant required specialist in-patient
treatment, which could not be provided in the medical unit of SIZO
no. 13.
- On
27 July 2004 the doctor of the Traumatology and Orthopaedics
Institute of the Academy of Medicine (Інститут
травматології
та ортопедії
Академії медичних
наук України)
concluded that the applicant “could not have surgery on
his left thigh”.
- Between
July 2004 and January 2005 the applicant had two chest X rays
and was twice examined by professor of phthisiology P.
- On
8 October 2004, following an enquiry from the court, the SIZO
administration issued a certificate stating that the applicant was
suffering from chronic tuberculosis and other diseases but that his
state of health was satisfactory and he could take part in court
hearings.
- On
2 December 2004 the applicant instituted proceedings in the
Shevchenkivskyy District Court of Kyiv against the head of SIZO no.
13 and the head of its medical ward seeking his transfer to a
specialised hospital and complaining that the information provided in
the certificate of 8 October 2004 had not been true.
- On
11 February 2005 the court rejected the applicant’s complaints.
In particular, the court found that the certificate in question had
been accepted by the Court of Appeal and included in the applicant’s
criminal case file, therefore, there were no reasons to question its
veracity. The court further found that the applicant had received the
necessary medical treatment in the SIZO. This decision was not
appealed against by the applicant.
- According
to the Government, the applicant refused to undergo medical tests on
four occasions between January and July 2005. The relevant refusals
were signed by the SIZO doctors but not by the applicant.
- On
4 July 2005 the applicant was diagnosed with pleuropneumonia
cirrhosis of the right lung, having been cured of cirrhotic
tuberculosis.
- On
1 November 2005, after the applicant’s conviction had been
upheld on appeal by the Supreme Court, he was transferred from
SIZO no. 13 to Zamkova Correctional Colony no. 58 (Замкова
ВК-58) to serve his
prison sentence.
- On
an unspecified date the applicant was further transferred to Sokalska
Correctional Colony no. 47 (Сокальська
ВК-47).
- On
9 February 2006 the applicant underwent surgery on his left leg.
- According
to the documents further submitted by the applicant’s lawyers
(letters from the Ukrainian-American Bureau for the Protection of
Human Rights and from Sokalska Correctional Colony no. 47), he is
still suffering from fibrocaseous tuberculosis of the right lung.
II. RELEVANT DOMESTIC LAW
A. Constitution of Ukraine, 1996
- The
relevant provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine read as follows:
Article 55
“Human and citizens’ rights and freedoms are
protected by the courts.
Everyone is guaranteed the right to challenge in court
the decisions, actions or omissions of State authorities, local
authorities, officials and officers. ...
Everyone has the right to protect his or her rights and
freedoms from violations and illegal encroachments by any means not
prohibited by law.”
B. Code of Criminal Procedure
- In
accordance with Article 165-3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure,
decisions of the judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine on detention
on remand are not subject to appeal.
- Other
relevant provisions of the Code are summarised in the judgments of
Nevmerzhitsky v. Ukraine (no. 54825/00, § 54, ECHR
2005 II (extracts)), and Solovey and Zozulya v.
Ukraine (nos. 40774/02 and 4048/03, § 43, 27 November
2008)).
- On
3 April 2003 changes were introduced to Articles 156 and 218 of the
Code. According to these new rules, access to the case file should be
provided to the detained defendant at least a month before the expiry
of the authorised term of detention. If one month proves insufficient
for the defendant to familiarise him or herself with the case file,
the investigator can lodge an application with the relevant court of
appeal, pre-approved by the Prosecutor General, for an extension of
the term of the defendant’s detention. The time in which the
defendant and his or her lawyer familiarise themselves with the case
file cannot be limited.
C. Relevant international materials concerning medical
assistance in detention
1. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and
Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment (“the CPT”)
- In
so far as tuberculosis is concerned, the Committee for the Prevention
of Torture’s report on its visit to Ukraine in 2005 (CPT/Inf
(2007) 22) reads as follows:
“58. The delegation’s
observations in relation to tuberculosis are a source of great
concern. There were often considerable delays in screening for
tuberculosis. [...]
Further, it recommends that the Ukrainian authorities
ensure:
- the early and effective screening for tuberculosis of
all persons detained by the Militia;
- the provision of uninterrupted treatment for persons
already receiving anti-tuberculosis drugs at the time of
apprehension.”
- Other
relevant international reports and other materials concerning the
treatment of tuberculosis in Ukrainian penitentiary establishments
can be found in the judgment of 28 March 2006 in the case of Melnik
v. Ukraine, (no. 72286/01, §§ 47-53) and
in the judgment of 19 February 2009 in the case of Malenko
v. Ukraine (no. 18660/03, § 28 30).
THE LAW
I. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLES 3 AND 13 OF THE
CONVENTION
- The
applicant complained under Article 3 of the Convention that he had
been subjected to inhuman treatment on account of the inadequate
medical care with which he had been provided during his detention in
SIZO no. 13. He further complained of a lack of an
effective remedy in this respect. The invoked Articles provide as
follows:
Article 3
“No one shall be subjected to torture or to
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
Article 13
“Everyone whose rights and freedoms as set forth
in [the] Convention are violated shall have an effective remedy
before a national authority notwithstanding that the violation has
been committed by persons acting in an official capacity.”
A. Admissibility
- The
Government maintained that the applicant had failed to exhaust
effective domestic remedies in respect of his complaints of a lack of
adequate medical assistance while in detention. Referring to Article
55 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the Government indicated that all
decisions, actions or omissions of State bodies could be challenged
in court. Although the applicant had instituted proceedings against
the SIZO administration, he had failed to appeal against the court’s
decision of 11 February 2005. The Government further argued that a
claim for compensation was an effective remedy which the applicant
should have exhausted. In support, the Government submitted a copy of
the court’s decision of 4 February 2009 in the case of K. and
B. against SIZO no. 13. The plaintiffs’ daughter and mother had
died in the above SIZO because of a lack of medical assistance. The
court awarded the plaintiffs 25,000
Ukrainian hryvnias (UAH) each in compensation for non-pecuniary
damage.
- The
applicant submitted that he had exhausted all available remedies
which had turned out to be ineffective. The applicant contended that
the laws of Ukraine and existing domestic case-law did not guarantee
any compensation or effective protection in the event of a lack of
adequate medical assistance in detention.
- The
Court notes that it has already examined similar objections by the
Government in a number of cases (see Koval v. Ukraine (dec.),
no. 65550/01, 30 March 2004, and Mikhaniv v. Ukraine
(dec.), no. 75522/01, 20 May 2008). In particular, in the case of
Mikhaniv v. Ukraine, the Court found that in the absence of
any example from domestic case-law to show that civil and/or
administrative proceedings instituted by a prisoner would have stood
any prospect of success, it had not been sufficiently established
that recourse to the remedies suggested by the Government would have
been capable of affording redress to the applicant in relation to his
complaints.
- The
Court notes that in the present case the Government submitted an
example of a decision by which the domestic court awarded
compensation for the death in detention of the plaintiffs’
daughter and mother which had been caused by a lack of appropriate
medical treatment. However, this decision was adopted by the national
court after this Court had examined the case and had found a
violation of Article 2 of the Convention in respect of the
authorities’ failure to protect the plaintiffs’ daughter
and mother’s right to life (see Kats and Others v. Ukraine,
no. 29971/04, 18 December 2008).
Therefore, the Court is not convinced that a single example of
successful litigation, in a case in which a violation had previously
been found by this Court, could serve as proof of the effectiveness
of the remedy proposed by the Government.
- Moreover,
the Court has already found that the problems arising from the
conditions of detention and the lack of proper medical treatment in
Ukrainian places of detention were of a structural nature (see Koval
v. Ukraine, cited above, § 96) and no effective remedy
was available in this respect (see Melnik v. Ukraine, cited
above, §§ 113-116). The Court sees no reason to depart from
that finding in the present case and therefore considers that this
complaint cannot be rejected for failure to exhaust domestic
remedies.
- The Court notes that these complaints are not
manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 of
the Convention and are not inadmissible on any other grounds. They
must therefore be declared admissible.
B. Merits
1. Article 3 of the Convention
(a) The Government’s submissions
- The
Government submitted that the burden of proof in cases of treatment
or punishment allegedly incompatible with Article 3 of the Convention
rested on the applicant; however, in the present case the applicant
had failed to provide sufficient substantiation of his allegations.
Upon his arrival at the SIZO in August 2001 the applicant had been
examined by a doctor and found to be healthy. He had been diagnosed
with tuberculosis only one year later and prior to August 2002 he had
not complained of coughing or of any pain in his chest. After the
applicant had been diagnosed with tuberculosis, he had been
immediately transferred to the special tuberculosis ward of the SIZO
where he had stayed until 13 November 2004.
- The
applicant was systematically X-rayed (on 23 November and 11 December
2003, 17 September 2004 and 18 January 2005), was seen by the SIZO
phthisiologist, and on seven occasions (between November 2002 and
August 2005) he was examined by specialists of the Phthisiology
Institute. The applicant had received the necessary treatment
prescribed by the phthisiologist. Between 4 February and 9 March 2004
the applicant had stayed in a specialist institute and upon discharge
his state of health had been satisfactory.
- The
Government further indicated that on some occasions the applicant had
refused to undergo the required treatment. Between 28 August and 15
October 2002, and between 12 March and 28 April 2003, the applicant
had refused to take the prescribed treatment. On four occasions in
2005 the applicant had refused to undergo medical tests. Therefore,
the applicant himself had prevented the medical personnel from
providing him with adequate treatment.
- As
for the injury to the applicant’s left leg, the Government
submitted that, according to the conclusion of the Kyiv Traumatology
Institute in November 2002, the applicant had not needed surgery. He
had been given the necessary painkillers, had special shoes and since
August 2003 the applicant had been walking with a stick.
According to the medical conclusion of the same institute, given in
July 2004, it had been impossible to operate on him because he had
been suffering from tuberculosis. By August 2005 the applicant’s
tuberculosis was cured and in February 2006 he underwent surgery on
his left leg.
- Therefore,
the Government concluded that the applicant had received all
necessary treatment while in detention.
(b) The applicant’s submissions
- The
applicant stated that parts of the medical documents submitted by the
Government were forged. The parts in question concerned his alleged
refusals of treatment and other documents issued between 8 August
2001 and 20 August 2002. He had never worn any special shoes, as the
Government had stated, and had been able to walk with a crutch only
since July 2003.
- The
applicant refused to take medication between September and October
2002 since the SIZO had provided only medicines whose “use-by”
date had expired. However, he had not been permitted to receive
medicine from his lawyer since detainees were allowed to receive
packages from relatives only.
- The
applicant further referred to the Court’s findings in the case
of Koval v. Ukraine that the problems arising from the
applicant’s conditions of detention and his alleged lack of
proper medical treatment were apparently of a structural nature. The
conditions of the applicant’s detention were similar to those
described in a number of cases against Ukraine (see among others,
Nevmerzhitsky v. Ukraine, cited above, and Melnik
v. Ukraine, cited above) and in the findings of the CPT and
of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. Moreover,
in July 2003 one person (a co-accused in the applicant’s case)
had died of tuberculosis in SIZO no.13.
- The
applicant finally indicated that the Government had not submitted any
evidence in support of their statement that the applicant’s
tuberculosis had been cured.
(c) The Court’s assessment
- The
Court has emphasised on a number of occasions that the health of
prisoners has to be adequately secured (see Kudła
v. Poland [GC], no. 30210/96, §
94, ECHR 2000 XI). However, the Court has also held that
Article 3 of the Convention cannot be interpreted as securing to
every detained person medical assistance of the same level as “in
the best civilian clinics” (see Mirilashivili v. Russia
(dec.), no. 6293/04, 10 July 2007). It further held that it
was “prepared to accept that in principle the resources of
medical facilities within the penitentiary system are limited
compared to those of civil[ian] clinics” (see Grishin v.
Russia, no. 30983/02, § 76, 15 November 2007). On the
whole, the Court reserves sufficient flexibility in defining the
required standard of health care, deciding it on a case by case
basis. That standard should be “compatible with the human
dignity” of a detainee, but should also take into account “the
practical demands of imprisonment” (see Aleksanyan v.
Russia, no. 46468/06, § 140,
22 December 2008).
- Other
relevant principles determined by the Court in its case-law as
regards Article 3 of the Convention in respect of medical treatment
in detention are summarised in the case of Ukhan
v. Ukraine (no. 30628/02,
§§ 73-74, 18 December 2008).
- Turning
to the facts of the present case, the Court notes that while in
detention the applicant suffered from two separate medical conditions
– tuberculosis and a deformation of the left femur. In order to
establish whether the applicant received the requisite medical
assistance while in detention, it is crucial to determine whether the
State authorities provided him with sufficient medical supervision
for a timely diagnosis and treatment of his illnesses (see Popov
v. Russia, no. 26853/04, § 211, 13 July 2006, and Mechenkov
v. Russia, no. 35421/05, § 102, 7 February 2008).
- The
applicant was first diagnosed with tuberculosis in August 2002, a
year after he was transferred to SIZO no. 13. It is true that as soon
as the applicant was diagnosed, he was placed into the medical ward
of the SIZO and received some treatment, including consultations with
specialists from the civil hospital. Although the mere
fact that a detainee was seen by a doctor and prescribed a certain
form of treatment cannot automatically lead to the conclusion that
the medical assistance was adequate (see Hummatovv.
Azerbaijan, Hummatov v. Azerbaijan, nos. 9852/03 and
13413/04, § 116, 29 November 2007), the
Court reiterates that it is not well placed to decide whether
the choice of treatment methods appropriately reflected the
applicant’s needs (see Ukhan v.
Ukraine, cited above, § 76, and
Okhrimenko v. Ukraine,
no. 53896/07, § 71, 15 October 2009).
- As
for the Government’s statement that the applicant refused
treatment and tests, the Court cannot establish on the basis of the
available evidence whether this was the case. No such refusals were
signed by the applicant and the reasons for treatment refusal in
September and October 2002 acknowledged by him (namely, medicine
whose use-by date had expired) were not commented on by the
Government.
- The
Court, however, observes that, according to the applicant, he had
become infected with tuberculosis in early 2002. The Court notes that
the Government did not provide any medical documents covering the
period between the applicant’s admission to the SIZO in August
2001 and the date of the applicant’s diagnosis with
tuberculosis in August 2002, including the medical check-up upon the
applicant’s arrival to the SIZO. Moreover, the copies of the
medical documents, which were provided by the Government, are often
of a poor quality and partly unreadable.
- In
this connection, the Court reiterates that Convention proceedings,
such as the present application, do not in all cases lend themselves
to a rigorous application of the principle affirmanti incumbit
probatio (he who alleges something must prove that allegation),
as in certain instances the respondent Government alone have access
to information capable of corroborating or refuting allegations. A
failure on a Government’s part to submit such information
without a satisfactory explanation may give rise to the drawing of
inferences as to the well-foundedness of the applicant’s
allegations (see Ahmet Özkan and Others v. Turkey, no.
21689/93, § 426, 6 April 2004).
- Given
the CPT’s conclusions about considerable delays in screening
for tuberculosis in detention (see paragraph 71 above), the
applicant’s statements that his health started to deteriorate
in March 2002 and the Government’s failure to provide medical
documents covering the initial period of the applicant’s
detention, the Court has doubts as to the availability of the
adequate medical assistance to the applicant before August 2002.
- As
for the applicant’s suffering from the consequences of the
multiple fracture of his left thigh, the Court notes that several
consistent medical conclusions in 2002 - 2004 were issued stating
that the applicant had needed surgery and special treatment. On one
occasion only, in November 2002, an opposite conclusion was given
(see paragraph 44) but it was followed by expert opinions in October
2003 and April 2004 that the applicant required surgery and/or
specialised in-patient treatment (see paragraphs 47 and 55). Later
on, in July 2004 it was concluded that the surgery was not possible
allegedly until the applicant would be cured of tuberculosis. The
Court notes, however, that despite numerous medical prescriptions no
such surgery was performed at the initial stage of the applicant’s
detention and it does not follow from the available materials that
the applicant has ever received any particular treatment in respect
of his thigh injury prior to 2006 although the deformed metal plate
in his leg caused him pain and significant difficulties in walking,
which aggravated his general health condition.
- Taking
the applicant’s situation as a whole, the Court considers that
there has been a violation of Article 3 of the Convention in respect
of the lack of appropriate medical treatment in the present case.
2. Article 13 of the Convention
- The
Government reiterated their observations on the admissibility of the
applicant’s complaint under Article 3 of the Convention and
stated that the applicant had had an effective remedy which he had
failed to exhaust.
- The
applicant disagreed.
- Referring
to its above findings on the admissibility of the applicant’s
complaint under Article 3 of the Convention, the Court concludes that
there has been a violation of Article 13 of the Convention on
account of the lack of an effective and accessible remedy under
domestic law for the applicant’s complaints in respect of his
treatment in detention.
II. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 5 §§ 1 AND 3 OF
THE CONVENTION
- The
applicant complained that his detention had been unreasonably long.
Furthermore, his detention during specific periods, namely, between
29 November 2001 and 30 October 2002; 1 November 2002 and 19 June
2003; and between 19 and 24 May 2004 had not been lawful as it had
not been duly authorised.
- He
relied on Article 5 §§ 1 and 3 of the Convention, which
reads as follows:
“1. Everyone has the right to liberty
and security of person. No one shall be deprived of his liberty save
in the following cases and in accordance with a procedure prescribed
by law...
3. Everyone arrested or detained in
accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1 (c) of this
Article shall be ... entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to
release pending trial. Release may be conditioned by guarantees to
appear for trial.”
A. Admissibility
- The
Court notes that these complaints are not manifestly ill-founded
within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 of the Convention. It
further notes that they are not inadmissible on any other grounds.
They must therefore be declared admissible.
B. Merits
1. Article 5 § 1 of the Convention
- The
Government indicated that until 3 April 2003 no domestic decision was
required to validate a period of detention during which a person was
being given access to the case file. Therefore, the applicant’s
detention between 29 November 2001 and 30 October 2002, when he was
studying the case file, had been in compliance with the national law
and had not breached the requirements of Article 5 § 1 of the
Convention.
- The
Government further noted that the applicant’s detention between
1 November 2002 and 19 June 2003 had also been in accordance with the
national law.
- As
for the lawfulness of the applicant’s detention between 19 and
24 May 2004, the Government noted that on 11 May 2004 the
investigating officer had asked the Supreme Court to extend the term
of the applicant’s detention to 19 June 2004 since it would
have expired on 19 May 2004. However, on 19 May 2004 the
investigation into the applicant’s case was completed and the
case file was transferred to the court. Since that moment it had
been, according to the national law, for the court to decide on the
applicant’s further detention. On 24 May 2004 the Supreme Court
had extended the term of the applicant’s detention to 19 June
2004.
- Therefore,
the Government believed that the applicant’s detention between
29 November 2001 and 30 October 2002, 1 November 2002 and 19 June
2003, and 19 and 24 May 2004 had been in accordance with
national law and lawful within the meaning of Article 5 § 1 of
the Convention.
- The
applicant disagreed and referred to the cases of Yeloyev
v. Ukraine (no. 17283/02, 6 November 2008) and Doronin
v. Ukraine (no. 16505/02, 19
February 2009) where, in similar circumstances, the Court found a
violation of Article 5 § 1 of the Convention.
- The
Court reiterates that the expressions “lawful” and “in
accordance with a procedure prescribed by law” in Article 5 §
1 essentially refer back to national law and lay down an obligation
to comply with the substantive and procedural rules thereof. While it
is for the national authorities, notably the courts, to interpret and
apply domestic law, the Court may review whether national law has
been observed for the purposes of this Convention provision (see,
among other authorities, Assanidze v. Georgia [GC], no.
71503/01, § 171, ECHR 2004 II).
- However,
the “lawfulness” of detention under domestic law is the
primary, but not always the decisive element. The Court must, in
addition, be satisfied that the detention during the period under
consideration was compatible with the purpose of Article 5 §
1 of the Convention, which is to prevent persons from being
deprived of their liberty in an arbitrary manner. Moreover, the Court
must ascertain whether the domestic law itself is in compliance with
the Convention, including the general principles expressed or implied
therein (see Winterwerp v. the Netherlands, 24 October
1979, § 45, Series A no. 33).
(a) Periods between 29 November 2001 –
30 October 2002 and 1 November 2002 – 19 June 2003
- The
Court notes that the applicant’s detention during the
above mentioned periods was not covered by any decisions. In
particular, under Ukrainian law in force at the material time, the
periods when the applicant was given access to the case file (between
29 November 2001 and 30 October 2002) and when his case was referred
to the court for trial and until it was returned to the prosecutor’s
office (between 1 November 2002 and 19 June 2003) were not included
in the term foreseen by the law for detention on remand. The Court
has previously found a violation in similar cases against Ukraine
(see Yeloyev v. Ukraine, cited above, §§ 48-51, and
Doronin v. Ukraine,
cited above, § 58). The Court does not see any reason to
depart from its findings in the present case. Accordingly, there has
also been a violation of Article 5 § 1 as regards these periods
of the applicant’s detention.
(b) Period of 19 – 24 May 2004
- The
Court further notes that on 18 May 2004 the Supreme Court of Ukraine
rejected the request to extend the time-limit for the applicant’s
detention. This time-limit expired the next day, but the applicant
remained in detention. After the decision of 18 May 2004 was set
aside, the applicant’s pre-trial detention was further
authorised on 24 May 2004. Therefore, between 19 and 24 May 2004
there was no formal decision authorising the applicant’s
detention. Even assuming that no such decision was required by the
domestic law because, according to the Government, the investigation
authorities had transferred the applicant’s case file to the
court on 19 May 2004 for consideration on the merits, the Court
notes, referring to its above findings, that the period of the
applicant’s detention between 19 and 24 May 2004 was still not
in accordance with Article 5 § 1 of the Convention.
- Therefore,
there has been a violation of Article 5 § 1 of the Convention in
the present case.
2. Article 5 § 3 of the Convention
(a) Parties’ observations
- The
Government submitted that the applicant’s pre-trial detention
had lasted from 9 June 2001 until 3 December 2004 and that,
therefore, “the length of the applicant’s detention on
remand to be taken into consideration in this case amounted to nearly
two years and six months” and could not be considered
unreasonable. The Government further submitted that the applicant’s
case had been quite complicated and involved the investigation of
twelve different crimes committed by the applicant together with four
other persons. When extending the applicant’s pre-trial
detention, the national authorities had taken into consideration the
gravity of crimes, the applicant’s personality, and the risk of
his escaping and hindering the investigation, as the applicant had
already been convicted of committing serious crimes. Therefore, the
Government stated that there had been no breach of the “reasonable
time” requirement under Article 5 § 3 of the Convention in
the present case.
- The
applicant submitted that he had remained in detention on remand for
more than three years and that there had accordingly been a breach of
Article 5 § 3 of the Convention.
(b) General principles
- The
Court reiterates that the persistence of reasonable suspicion that
the person arrested has committed an offence is a condition sine
qua non for the lawfulness of continued detention. However, after
a certain lapse of time, it no longer suffices. In such cases, the
Court must establish whether the other grounds given by the judicial
authorities continued to justify the deprivation of liberty. Where
such grounds were “relevant” and “sufficient”,
the Court must also ascertain whether the competent national
authorities displayed “special diligence” in the conduct
of the proceedings (see Labita v. Italy [GC], no. 26772/95, §§
152-153, ECHR 2000 IV).
- It is incumbent on the domestic authorities to
establish the existence of specific facts relevant to the grounds for
continued detention. Shifting the burden of proof to the detained
person in such matters is tantamount to overturning the rule of
Article 5 of the Convention, a provision which makes detention an
exceptional departure from the right to liberty and one that is only
permissible in exhaustively enumerated and strictly defined cases
(see Rokhlina v. Russia, no. 54071/00, § 67, 7 April
2005, and Ilijkov v. Bulgaria, no. 33977/96, §§
84-85, 26 July 2001). The national judicial authorities must examine
all the facts arguing for or against the existence of a genuine
requirement of public interest justifying, with due regard to the
principle of the presumption of innocence, a departure from the rule
of respect for individual liberty, and must set them out in their
decisions dismissing the applications for release. It is not the
Court’s task to establish such facts and take the place of the
national authorities which ruled on the applicant’s detention.
It is essentially on the basis of the reasons given in the domestic
courts’ decisions and of the facts mentioned by the applicant
in his appeals that the Court is called upon to decide whether or not
there has been a violation of Article 5 § 3 of the Convention
(see Korchuganova v. Russia, no. 75039/01, § 72, 8 June
2006; Ilijkov, cited above, § 86; and Labita,
cited above, § 152).
(c) Period to be taken into consideration
- The Court notes that the period under consideration
began on 5 or 6 June 2001, when the applicant was arrested, and ended
on 3 December 2004 when he was convicted and sentenced by the Court
of Appeal (see B. v.Austria,
28 March 1990, § 39, Series A no. 175). The
applicant’s pre trial detention thus lasted for around
three years and six months. The length of the applicant’s
detention is not short in absolute terms (see and compare Ilowiecki
v. Poland, no. 27504/95, § 52, 4 October 2001).
- The
Court reiterates that the question of whether or not a period of
detention is reasonable cannot be assessed in the abstract. Whether
it is reasonable for an accused to remain in detention must be
assessed in each case according to its special features. Continued
detention can be justified in a given case only if there are specific
indications of a genuine requirement of public interest which,
notwithstanding the presumption of innocence, outweighs the rule of
respect for individual liberty laid down in Article 5 of the
Convention (see, among other authorities, Kudła
v. Poland [GC], no. 30210/96, §§ 110-111,
ECHR 2000-X).
(d) The Court’s analysis
- The
Court notes that the authorities’ decisions on the applicant’s
detention were always limited to a simple enumeration of grounds for
such detention without any further clarification. The grounds relied
on by the authorities varied significantly and in the absence of any
extended reasoning it is impossible to tell whether they were
relevant.
- Later
on, in its decisions of 18 December 2003 and 16 March 2004, namely,
two years and six months, and two years and nine months after the
applicant’s arrest, the Supreme Court referred only to the
gravity of the charges against the applicant to justify his further
detention. However, the Court has repeatedly held that the gravity of
the charges cannot by itself serve to justify long periods of
detention on remand (Olstowski v. Poland, no. 34052/96, §
78, 15 November 2001, and Ilijkov v. Bulgaria, cited above,
§ 81).
- The
Court also observes that the courts failed to consider the request of
the applicant’s lawyer to release the applicant on medical
grounds and at no stage did the domestic authorities consider any
alternative preventive measures to detention.
- The
Court lastly notes that the problem of lengthy pre-trial detention
without any relevant reasons and with the domestic authorities simply
referring to the gravity of charges has already been found to be
incompatible with the requirements of Article 5 § 3 of the
Convention in a number of cases against Ukraine (see, among recent
authorities, Shalimov v. Ukraine,
no. 20808/02, 4 March 2010, and Feldman
v. Ukraine, nos. 76556/01 and
38779/04, 8 April 2010).
- Consequently,
there has been a violation of Article 5 § 3 of the Convention in
the present case.
III. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF THE CONVENTION IN RESPECT OF
QUASHING OF DECISION ON THE APPLICANT’S DETENTION
- The
applicant complained under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention that
the extraordinary review procedure under which the prosecutor had
challenged the decision of the Supreme Court of 18 May 2004 not to
extend the applicant’s detention on remand was contrary to the
principle of legal certainty as no ordinary appeal lay against this
decision. In this respect, the applicant also emphasised that the
prosecutor’s extraordinary review submissions had not been
communicated to him or his lawyer and that they had not been allowed
to attend the session before the Supreme Court during which the
extraordinary review request as initiated by the prosecutor was
examined. He also complained that the Supreme Court’s
extraordinary review of the decision of 18 May 2004 had showed a lack
of impartiality.
- The
Court notes that by its decision of 21 May 2004 the Supreme Court of
Ukraine set aside its previous decision by which it had refused to
extend the applicant’s detention on remand. The Court finds
that this decision was taken within the proceedings by which the
lawfulness of the applicant’s detention was decided. Therefore,
this complaint should be considered under Article 5 § 1 of the
Convention.
- The
Court notes that this complaint is not manifestly ill-founded within
the meaning of Article 35 § 3 of the Convention. It further
notes that it is not inadmissible on any other grounds. It must
therefore be declared admissible.
- The
question of the effect of the quashing of the decision of 19May 2004
is one which could affect the lawfulness of the continuing detention
from that date since it removed any legal basis there may have been
for the detention from 19 to 24 May 2004.
- However,
as the Court has already found that there was no basis for the
detention during that period, (see paragraphs 115-116), the Court
considers that it is not necessary to examine whether, in this case,
there has been a separate, or further, violation of Article 5 §
1 in respect of quashing under the extraordinary review procedure of
the decision on the applicant’s detention on remand.
IV. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLES 6 § 1 AND 13 OF THE
CONVENTION IN RESPECT OF THE LENGTH OF PROCEEDINGS
- The
applicant further complained that the criminal proceedings against
him had exceeded a reasonable length of time within the meaning of
Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and that, in respect of this
complaint, he had not had an effective remedy as required by
Article 13 of the Convention.
- Article
6 § 1 of the Convention, in so far as relevant, reads as
follows:
“In the determination of ... any criminal charge
against him, everyone is entitled to a ... hearing within a
reasonable time by [a] ... tribunal ...”
A. Admissibility
- The
Court notes that these complaints are not manifestly ill-founded
within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 of the Convention. It
further notes that they are not inadmissible on any other grounds.
They must therefore be declared admissible.
B. Merits
- In
the Government’s view the length of criminal proceedings in the
applicant’s case, which lasted less than four years, could not
be considered unreasonable within the meaning of Article 6 § 1
of the Convention.
- The
Government indicated that the applicant’s case had been
complicated, that it had involved twelve different crimes requiring
investigation, including numerous forensic examinations. There had
been four co-accused in the case and ten victims. More than forty
witnesses had been questioned. The Government further underlined that
the length of the proceedings had also been caused by the fact that
the applicant had not confessed. In the Government’s view,
particular diligence had been required of the court in establishing
the truth and thus justified the length of proceedings.
- The
Government submitted that some delays in the proceedings could not be
attributable to the State. In particular, some delays were caused by
the applicant studying the case file. On two occasions the court
hearings were postponed because the witnesses and victims had failed
to appear, and on five occasions the accused’s lawyers had not
appeared at the court hearings. In particular, on 11 October 2004 the
court removed one of the applicant’s lawyers from the case
because of “improper behaviour”.
- Therefore,
in the Government’s view the length of proceedings in the
present case had been reasonable and some delays had been caused by
the complexity of the case and by the behaviour of the parties.
- The
applicant considered that four years was not a reasonable delay in
absolute terms. His case had not been complicated and nearly half of
the overall length of proceedings had been caused by remitting the
case for additional investigation on 9 December 2002. Moreover, he
had studied eight volumes of his criminal case file over eleven
months since the materials in the case file had been very poorly
filed and the new investigating officer had also been studying the
case file at the same time.
- The
Court notes that the relevant period commenced on 5 or 6 June 2001
and lasted until 24 May 2005, that is, a total of three years and
eleven months.
- The Court reiterates that the reasonableness of the
length of proceedings must be assessed in the light of the
circumstances of the case and with reference to the following
criteria: the complexity of the case, the conduct of the applicant
and that of the relevant authorities (see, among many other
authorities, Pélissier and Sassi v. France [GC], no.
25444/94, § 67, ECHR 1999-II). What is at stake for the
applicant must also be taken into consideration. In this respect, the
Court observes that the applicant was kept in custody from June 2001
until 3 December 2004 – a fact
which required particular diligence on the part of the authorities
and courts dealing with the case as regards the prompt administering
of justice (see Abdoella v. the Netherlands, 25 November
1992, § 24, Series A no. 248-A).
- However,
the Court notes that the applicant’s case was a complicated
one. It included five accused and concerned eight different counts of
burglary, murders and attempted murders and some other crimes
committed between 1998 and 2001. The proceedings took place at three
levels of jurisdiction, including the pre-trial investigation. In the
absence of any significant periods of inactivity on the part of the
State authorities, the Court considers that the length of proceedings
in the applicant’s case cannot be considered as unreasonable.
Consequently, there has been no breach of Articles 6 § 1 and 13
of the Convention in respect of the length of proceedings in the
applicant’s criminal case.
V. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF THE CONVENTION
- Lastly,
the applicant submitted numerous other complaints under Articles 2,
3, 6, 13 and 14 of the Convention and Article 2 of Protocol No. 7.
- The
Court has examined these complaints and considers that, in the light
of all the materials in its possession and in so far as the matters
complained of are within its competence, they do not disclose any
appearance of a violation of the rights and freedoms set out in the
Convention or its Protocols.
- It
follows that this part of the application must be rejected as being
manifestly ill-founded, pursuant to Article 35 §§ 3 and 4
of the Convention.
VI. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION
- 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.”
A. Damage
- The
applicant claimed 50,000 euros (EUR) in respect of non pecuniary
damage.
- The
Government maintained that there had been no violations of the
applicant’s rights; therefore, the applicant’s claims
should be rejected.
- The
Court awards the applicant EUR 8,000 in respect of non pecuniary
damage.
B. Costs and expenses
- The
applicant also claimed EUR 4,079 for costs and expenses incurred
before the domestic courts and the Court.
- The
Government indicated that some of the expenses claimed had not been
incurred in order to prevent or redress the alleged violations of the
Convention (namely, expenses for the representation of the applicant
in the criminal proceedings). The Government further submitted that
some of the expenses claimed were not supported by any documents or
bills and that since the applicant had been granted legal aid, his
claims for costs and expenses should be rejected.
- According to the Court’s case-law, an applicant
is entitled to the reimbursement of costs and expenses only in so far
as it has been shown that these have been actually and necessarily
incurred and were reasonable as to quantum. In the present case,
regard being had to the documents in its possession and the above
criteria, the Court makes no award under this head.
C. Default interest
- The
Court considers it appropriate that the default interest 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
- Declares the complaints under Article 3
(adequacy of medical assistance in detention), Article 5 §§
1 and 3, Article 6 § 1 (length of proceedings), Article 13 (lack
of effective remedy in respect of alleged inadequacy of medical
assistance in detention and length of proceedings) of the Convention
admissible and the remainder of the application inadmissible;
- Holds that there has been a violation of Article
3 of the Convention on account of a lack of adequate medical
assistance in detention;
- Holds that there has been a violation of Article
5 § 1 of the Convention;
- Holds that it is not necessary to
examine whether there has been a separate, or further, violation
of Article 5 § 1 in respect of the quashing under the
extraordinary review procedure of the decision on the applicant’s
detention on remand;
- Holds that there has been a violation of Article
5 § 3 of the Convention;
- Holds that there has been no violation of
Article 6 § 1 of the Convention on account of the length of
proceedings;
- Holds that there has been a violation of Article
13 of the Convention on account of the lack of effective remedies in
respect of the lack of medical assistance complained of;
- Holds that there has been no violation of
Article 13 of the Convention on account of the lack of
effective remedies in respect of the length of proceedings complained
of;
- Holds
(a) that
the respondent State is to pay the applicant, within three months
from the date on which the judgment becomes final in accordance with
Article 44 § 2 of the Convention, EUR 8,000 (eight
thousand euros), plus any tax that may be chargeable, in respect of
non-pecuniary damage, to be converted into Ukrainian hryvnias at the
rate applicable on 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;
- Dismisses the remainder of the applicant’s
claim for just satisfaction.
Done in English, and notified in writing on 21 October 2010, pursuant
to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Claudia Westerdiek Peer
Lorenzen
Registrar President