MAKARENKO AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA - 33808/21 (Article 11 - Freedom of assembly and association : Third Section Committee) [2024] ECHR 618 (04 July 2024)


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European Court of Human Rights


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> European Court of Human Rights >> MAKARENKO AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA - 33808/21 (Article 11 - Freedom of assembly and association : Third Section Committee) [2024] ECHR 618 (04 July 2024)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/2024/618.html
Cite as: [2024] ECHR 618

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THIRD SECTION

CASE OF MAKARENKO AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA

(Applications nos. 33808/21 and 32 others -

see appended list)

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUDGMENT

 

STRASBOURG

4 July 2024

 

This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.


In the case of Makarenko and Others v. Russia,

The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:

 Peeter Roosma, President,
 Ioannis Ktistakis,
 Andreas Zünd, judges,

and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,

Having deliberated in private on 30 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

  1. 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.

  1. 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).

  1. 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.

  1. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS UNDER WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW


12.  Some applicants submitted other complaints which also raised issues under the Convention and its Protocols, 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 and its Protocols 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; 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); and Martynyuk v. Russia, no. 13764/15, §§ 38-42, 8 October 2019, relating to the lack of suspensive effect of an appeal against the sentence of administrative detention.

  1. REMAINING COMPLAINTS


14.  Some applicants raised further additional complaints under Article 6 of the Convention concerning other aspects of fairness of the administrative-offence proceedings. In view of the findings in paragraphs 9-11 and 13 above, the Court considers that there is no need to deal separately with these remaining complaints.

  1. 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,

  1. Decides to join the applications;
  2. Holds that it has jurisdiction to deal with these applications as they relate to facts that took place before 16 September 2022;
  3. 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;
  4. Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention;
  5. Holds that there has been a violation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto as regards the other complaints raised under the well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table);
  6. 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 4 July 2024, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.

 

 Viktoriya Maradudina Peeter Roosma

 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 per applicant

(in euros)[1]

  1.    

33808/21

03/06/2021

Pavel Vladimirovich MAKARENKO

1978

Sabinin Andrey Vasilyevich

Stavropol

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Pyatigorsk

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO

detention for 1 day

Stavropol Regional Court

24/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Prot. 7 Art. 2 - delayed review of conviction by a higher tribunal - the sentence of administrative detention imposed on the applicant was executed immediately, on account of the lack of suspensive effect of an appeal under the CAO,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station for compiling an offence report from 1 p.m. on 31/01/2021 until 01/02/2021, when the applicant was taken to the court.

4,000

  1.    

36964/21

16/07/2021

Yelisey Vyacheslavovich GULYAYEV

2002

Memorial Human Rights Centre

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Chelyabinsk

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Chelyabinsk Regional Court

14/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.    

38113/21

20/07/2021

Richard Roman KING

1986

Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich

Vilnius

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Omsk

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 8 of CAO

detention for 15 days

Omsk Regional Court

27/01/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

5,000

  1.    

39237/21

28/07/2021

Pavel Sergeyevich BASARGIN

1978

Memorial Human Rights Centre

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Chelyabinsk

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 15,000

Chelyabinsk Regional Court

31/03/2021

 

3,500

  1.    

42660/21

11/06/2021

Darya Eduardovna MALGINOVA

1997

Nurgaleyev Danil Ilnurovich

Kazan

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Kazan

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Tatarstan Republic

24/02/2021

 

3,500

  1.    

42691/21

11/08/2021

Denis Vadimovich VOLKOV

1993

Nurgaleyev Danil Ilnurovich

Kazan

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Kazan

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Tatarstan Republic

10/03/2021

 

3,500

  1.    

42736/21

03/08/2021

Aleksey Gennadyevich BELAVIN

1986

 

 

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Samara

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Samara Regional Court

13/05/2021

 

3,500

  1.    

42961/21

17/08/2021

Aleksey Aleksandrovich PETRENKO

1989

Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich

Vilnius

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Khabarovsk

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Khabarovsk Regional Court

09/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.    

43005/21

23/08/2021

Valentin Nikolayevich KUZNETSOV

1944

Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich

Vilnius

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Omsk

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 8 of CAO

fine of RUB 75,000

Omsk Regional Court

09/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

4,300

  1.  

43006/21

18/08/2021

Anastasiya Yuryevna FEDCHUK

2002

Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich

Vilnius

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Tomsk

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Tomsk Regional Court

19/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - raised on appeal.

3,500

  1.  

43072/21

18/08/2021

Yaroslav Feliksovich SAVIN

1982

Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Astrakhan

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Astrakhan Regional Court

05/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

43498/21

18/08/2021

Danila Borisovich CHUMAKOV

2002

Pershakova Yelena Yuryevna

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Magnitogorsk

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 2 of CAO

50 hours of community work

Chelyabinsk Regional Court

31/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

45066/21

18/08/2021

Mikhail Valentinovich FROLOV

1976

Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich

Vilnius

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Omsk

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Omsk Regional Court

09/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

47052/21

15/09/2021

Vyacheslav Viktorovich SHCHERBININ

1985

Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich

Vilnius

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Tomsk

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Tomsk Regional Court

26/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

49680/21

17/09/2021

Sergey Ekhtibarovich SHICHKIN

1988

Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Ukhta

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

17/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

51757/21

30/09/2021

Natalya Stepanovna KHOLOPOVA

1954

Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Syktyvkar

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

31/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 31/01/2021

4,000

  1.  

51794/21

30/09/2021

Ivan Sergeyevich ISAKOV

1993

Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Syktyvkar

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

31/03/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

51975/21

15/10/2021

Vladislav Valeryevich BENDER

2003

Pershakova Yelena Yuryevna

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Perm

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Perm Regional Court

20/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

53298/21

07/10/2021

Aleksey Valeryevich NIKOLAYEV

1979

Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Kamchatka Regional Court

07/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

53300/21

07/10/2021

Galina Gennadyevna VURDOVA

1968

Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Syktyvkar

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

07/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

53463/21

11/10/2021

Dmitriy Nikolayevich OSIPOV

1979

Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Syktyvkar

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 5,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

15/09/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

53468/21

11/10/2021

Mariya Gennadyevna DMITRIYEVA

1997

Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Syktyvkar

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 5,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

26/05/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

54442/21

27/10/2021

Pavel Nikolayevich BALOV

1994

Memorial Human Rights Centre

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

12/05/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

 

3,500

  1.  

54782/21

10/10/2021

Anastasiya Sergeyevna NAZAROVA

2000

Tkachenko Nikita Nikolayevich

Belgorod

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Belgorod

 

21/04/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

20 hours of community work

Belgorod Regional Court

02/08/2021

 

3,500

  1.  

54784/21

10/10/2021

Yegor Sergeyevich KOZLITIN

2000

Tkachenko Nikita Nikolayevich

Belgorod

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Belgorod

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Belgorod Regional Court

12/04/2021

 

3,500

  1.  

55238/21

18/10/2021

Kirill Anatolyevich IZMALKOV

1979

Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Syktyvkar

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

26/05/2021

 

3,500

  1.  

56647/21

20/10/2021

Darya Vladimirovna ZELENAYA

1997

Memorial Human Rights Centre

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 15,000

Moscow City Court

20/04/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

56867/21

15/11/2021

Firuza Rustamovna SAMIYEVA

1992

Memorial Human Rights Centre

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

02/02/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Moscow City Court

17/05/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 11.20 p.m. on 02/02/2021 until 5 p.m. on 03/02/2021

4,000

  1.  

56870/21

15/11/2021

Andrey Vitalyevich KRIKUN

2001

Memorial Human Rights Centre

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

02/02/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Moscow City Court

19/05/2021

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station for compiling an offence report from 11.40 a.m. until 8 p.m. on 02/02/2021,

 

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

4,000

  1.  

57256/21

15/11/2021

Zabava Rodionovna VOLKOVA

1988

Memorial Human Rights Centre

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

St Petersburg

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

St Petersburg City Court

18/05/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings

3,500

  1.  

57388/21

08/11/2021

Yegor Alekseyevich DOMOZHIROV

1994

Kulikov Sergey Sergeyevich

Nizhniy Novgorod

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

12/05/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

57594/21

10/11/2021

Anastasiya Mikhaylovna CHUBAROVA

1994

Memorial Human Rights Centre

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

02/02/2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 10,000

Moscow City Court

11/05/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

23794/23

29/05/2023

Yegor Igorevich PODLESNYY

1996

Bochilo Anna Yevgenyevna

Barnaul

Anti-war protest

 

Moscow

 

06/03/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of RUB 15,000

Moscow City Court

13/02/2023

 

3,500

 


[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.


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