THIRD SECTION

CASE OF BRITVIN AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA

(Applications nos. 2113/20 and 10 others –

see appended list)

JUDGMENT

STRASBOURG

13 October 2022

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

In the case of Britvin and Others v. Russia,

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

Darian Pavli, President, Andreas Zünd, Frédéric Krenc, judges, and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,

Having deliberated in private on 15 September 2022,

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 excessive length of their pre-trial detention. Some applicants also raised other complaints under the provisions of the Convention.

THE LAW

5. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.

6. The applicants complained principally that their pre-trial detention had been unreasonably long. They relied on Article 5 § 3 of the Convention, which reads as follows:

Article 5 § 3

“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.”

7. The Court observes that the general principles regarding the right to trial within a reasonable time or to release pending trial, as guaranteed by Article 5 § 3 of the Convention, have been stated in a number of its previous judgments (see, among many other authorities, KudÅ‚a v. Poland [GC], no. 30210/96, § 110, ECHR 2000 ‑ XI, and McKay v. the United Kingdom [GC], no. 543/03, §§ 41-44, ECHR 2006 ‑ X, with further references).

8. In the leading case of Dirdizov v. Russia, no. 41461/10, 27 November 2012, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.

9. Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of persuading it to reach a different conclusion on the admissibility and merits of these complaints. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the length of the applicants’ pre-trial detention was excessive.

10. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 5 § 3 of the Convention.

11. In applications nos. 22998/20, 35772/20 and 47030/20, the applicants submitted other complaints which also raised issues under the Convention, given the relevant well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table). These complaints are not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, nor are they inadmissible on any other ground. Accordingly, they must be declared admissible. Having examined all the material before it, the Court concludes that they also disclose violations of the Convention in the light of its findings in Idalov v. Russia [GC], no. 5826/03, §§ 154-58, 22 May 2012, as regards lengthy review of detention matters; Svinarenko and Slyadnev v. Russia [GC], nos. 32541/08 and 43441/08, ECHR 2014 (extracts), as regards detention in a metal cage during the court hearings; Tomov and Others v. Russia , nos. 18255/10 and 5 others, §§ 92-156, 9 April 2019, as regards conditions of transport; and Pavlova v. Russia , no. 8578/12, 18 February 2020, as regards restrictions on family visits.

12. The applicant in application no. 22998/20 further complained about conditions of detention and lack of effective remedies in this connection. Having regard to the facts of the case, the submissions of the parties, and its findings above, the Court considers that it has dealt with the main legal questions raised by the applicant and that there is no need to examine these complaints (see Centre for Legal Resources on behalf of Valentin Câmpeanu v. Romania [GC], no. 47848/08, § 156, ECHR 2014).

13. In application no. 47030/20 the applicant also raised a complaint under Article 5 § 4 of the Convention.

14. The Court has examined the application and considers that, in the light of all the material in its possession and in so far as the matter complained of is within its competence, this complaint does not meet the admissibility criteria set out in Articles 34 and 35 of the Convention.

It follows that this part of the application must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 § 4 of the Convention.

15. 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.”

16. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case ‑ law (see, in particular, Pastukhov and Yelagin v. Russia, no. 55299/07, 19 December 2013), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.

17. The Court further considers it appropriate that the default interest rate should be based on the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank, to which should be added three percentage points.

FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,

(a) that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amounts indicated in the appended table, to be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable at the date of settlement;

(b) that from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement simple interest shall be payable on the above amounts at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points.

Done in English, and notified in writing on 13 October 2022, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.

Viktoriya Maradudina Darian Pavli

Acting Deputy Registrar President

APPENDIX

List of applications raising complaints under Article 5 § 3 of the Convention

(excessive length of pre-trial detention)

No.

Application no.

Date of introduction

Applicant’s name

Year of birth

Representative’s name and location

Period of detention

Court which issued detention order/examined appeal

Length of detention

Specific defects

Other complaints under well-established case-law

Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant

(in euros) [1]

2113/20

19/12/2019

Artem Andreyevich BRITVIN

1989

06/06/2018 to

28/10/2019

Chertanovskiy District Court of Moscow, Moscow City Court

1 year(s) and 4 month(s) and

23 day(s)

failure to examine the possibility of applying other measures of restraint; failure to assess the applicant’s personal situation reducing the risks of re-offending, colluding or absconding; use of assumptions, in the absence of any evidentiary basis, of the risks of absconding or obstructing justice; collective detention orders

1,500

5803/20

10/01/2020

Fedor Aleksandrovich KOZIN

1965Sergey Anatolyevich Kutuzov

Orel

16/11/2018

pending

Zavodskoy District Court of Orel; Orel Regional Court; 1st Appeal Court of the General Jurisdiction; Supreme Court of the Russian Federation

More than

3 year(s) and 8 month(s) and

20 day(s)

failure to conduct the proceedings with due diligence during the period of detention; use of assumptions, in the absence of any evidentiary basis, of the risks of absconding or obstructing justice; fragility of the reasons employed by the courts

3,900

5844/20

13/01/2020

Sergey Vasilyevich SHEVERDA

1975Irina Borisovna Frenkel

Irkutsk

05/06/2019

pending

Kirovskiy District Court of Irkutsk, Irkutsk Regional Court

More than

3 year(s) and 2 month(s)

fragility of the reasons employed by the courts; use of assumptions, in the absence of any evidentiary basis, of the risks of absconding or obstructing justice; failure to assess the applicant’s personal situation reducing the risks of re-offending, colluding or absconding; failure to examine the possibility of applying other measures of restraint

3,200

22998/20

01/04/2020

Maksim Aleksandrovich LAPSHIN

1991Tatyana Viktorovna

Sukhareva Moscow

12/02/2020

pending

Leninskiy District Court of Nizhniy Novgorod, Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

More than

2 year(s) and 5 month(s) and

24 day(s)

use of assumptions, in the absence of any evidentiary basis, of the risks of absconding or obstructing justice, failure to examine the possibility of applying other measures of restraint

Art. 3 - inadequate conditions of detention during transport - Transport by van; numerous occasions since 13/02/2020; overcrowding, no or restricted access to toilet, during the transport the applicant’s head is covered with black bag;

Art. 3 - use of metal cages and/or other security arrangements in courtrooms - metal cage in the Leninskiy District Court of Nizhniy Novgorod; numerous hearings since 13/02/2020.

9,750

35772/20

15/07/2020

Vyacheslav Sergeyevich PILIPENKO

1982

09/09/2017 to

21/04/2021

Kargasokskiy District Court of the Tomsk Region; Tomsk Regional Court

3 year(s) and 7 month(s) and

13 day(s)

failure to conduct the proceedings with due diligence during the period of detention, collective detention orders

Art. 5 (4) - excessive length of judicial review of detention - the detention order of the Kargasokskiy District Court of the Tomsk Region of 22/10/2019 was examined on appeal by the Tomsk Regional Court on 23/01/2020.

4,300

40275/20

27/08/2020

Dmitriy Vladimirovich SINYAVSKIY

1973Sergey Aleksandrovich Valiulin

Vladivostok

08/05/2020

pending

Primorye Regional Court

More than

2 year(s) and 2 month(s) and

28 day(s)

fragility of the reasons employed by the courts, use of assumptions, in the absence of any evidentiary basis, of the risks of absconding or obstructing justice, failure to assess the applicant’s personal situation reducing the risks of re-offending, colluding or absconding, failure to examine the possibility of applying other measures of restraint

2,300

40846/20

15/08/2020

Yan Valeryevich NAKHAPETOV

1976Yuliya Fedotova

Yekaterinburg

10/12/2019

pending

Oktyabrskiy District Court of Krasnodar; Krasnodar Regional Court

More than

2 year(s) and 7 month(s) and

26 day(s)

fragility of the reasons employed by the courts, collective detention orders, use of assumptions, in the absence of any evidentiary basis, of the risks of absconding or obstructing justice, failure to assess the applicant’s personal situation reducing the risks of re-offending, colluding or absconding

2,800

41360/20

20/08/2020

Aleksandr Viktorovich POLYAKOV

1974Dmitriy Nikolayevich Dmitriyev

Irkutsk

19/02/2020

pending

Irkutsk Garrison Military Court, Second Eastern District Military Court

More than

2 year(s) and 5 month(s) and

17 day(s)

fragility of the reasons employed by the courts, use of assumptions, in the absence of any evidentiary basis, of the risks of absconding or obstructing justice; failure to assess the applicant’s personal situation reducing the risks of re-offending, colluding or absconding; failure to examine the possibility of applying other measures of restraint

2,600

46678/20

24/09/2020

Sergey Vyacheslavovich DRUZHININ

1977

23/01/2020

pending

Leninskiy District Court of Stavropol; Stavropol Regional Court

More than

2 year(s) and 6 month(s) and

13 day(s)

failure to assess the applicant’s personal situation reducing the risks of re-offending, colluding or absconding, failure to examine the possibility of applying other measures of restraint

2,700

47030/20

08/10/2020

Marat Iskanderovich GALIASKAROV

1986

25/02/2020 to

06/12/2021

Aviastroitelnyy District Court of Kazan of the Republic of Tatarstan, Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, Privolzhskiy District Court of Kazan of the Republic of Tatarstan

1 year(s) and 9 month(s) and

12 day(s)

use of assumptions, in the absence of any evidentiary basis, of the risks of absconding or obstructing justice; fragility of the reasons employed by the courts

Art. 8 (1) - restrictions on family visits in pre-trial facilities - SIZO-2, Republic of Tatarstan - the applicant requested visits by his family (wife, daughter, parents) on several occasions from the investigating authorities and domestic courts to

no avail. Latest refusal of the court - 08/02/2021;

Art. 13 - lack of an effective remedy against refusals of family visits in detention.

4,550

4351/21

21/12/2020

Ilya Aleksandrovich MAKARENKO

1979

03/03/2020

pending

Yessentuki Town Court of Stavropol Region; Stavropol Regional Court

More than

2 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 2 day(s)

fragility of the reasons employed by the courts, use of assumptions, in the absence of any evidentiary basis, of the risks of absconding or obstructing justice, failure to assess the applicant’s personal situation reducing the risks of re-offending, colluding or absconding, failure to examine the possibility of applying other measures of restraint, failure to conduct the proceedings with due diligence during the period of detention

2,600

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