Communicated on 9 January 2018

FIRST SECTION

Application no. 56975/14 Dmytro Oleksandrovych POTYEKHIN against Ukraine and Russia and 4 other applications (see list appended)

STATEMENT OF FACTS

The facts of the cases, as submitted by the applicants, are set forth in the appended table.

COMPLAINTS

The applicants complain under Article 3 of the Convention of the poor conditions of their detention and of having been humiliated and ill ‑ treated. In applications nos. 59913/14 and 60376/14 the applicants also complain that the domestic authorities failed to take measures necessary for carrying out an effective investigation into the alleged ill-treatment.

The applicants furthermore complain under Article 5 § 1 of the Convention of the unlawfulness of their being deprived of their liberty.

As regards applications nos. 56975/14, 59913/14 and 60376/14 the applicants complain under Article 4 of the Convention that they were obliged to do forced labour.

In all the applications, except for application no. 59674/14, the applicants complain that the respondent Governments failed to take measures necessary to secure their Convention rights as required by Article 13 of the Convention. They therefore did not have effective remedies in that respect.

As regards application no. 56975/14 the applicant complains under Article 8 that his detention violated his right to private and family life and correspondence in that he could not have any contact with his relatives.

QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES

1. Do the alleged violations of the Convention fall within the “jurisdiction” of the respondent States within the meaning of Article 1 of the Convention?

2. Were the applicants subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment, in breach of Article 3 of the Convention?

3. Were the applicants deprived of their liberty, in breach of Article 5 § 1 of the Convention?

4. As regards applications nos. 56975/14, 59913/14 and 60376/14, do the facts complained of amount to a violation of Article 4 of the Convention ?

5. As regards applications nos. 59913/14 and 60376/14, have investigations been carried out in respect of the applicants ’ allegations of a violation of Article 3 of the Convention, as required by that provision?

6. As regards all the applications, except for application no. 59674/14, did the applicants have effective remedies at their disposal in respect of their Convention complaints, as required by Article 13 of the Convention?

7. As regards application no. 56975/14, did the applicant ’ s detention violate his right to private, family life and correspondence?

APPENDIX

No.

Application no.

Case title

Lodged on

Applicant name

date of birth

place of residence

Represented by

Notes

Investigation into the applicants ’ complaints by Ukrainian/ Russian authorities

56975/14

Potyekhin v. Ukraine and Russia

13/08/2014

Dmytro Oleksandrovych POTYEKHIN

01/04/1976

Kyiv

Yana Vasilyevna ZAYIKINA

On 7 August 2014 the applicant, a political analyst, was detained by the separatist militants of the so-called Donetsk People ’ s Republic (DPR) in the Isolation plant premises in Donetsk . Until his release on 24 September 2014 he was tortured, ill-treated, kept in inhuman and degrading conditions and obliged to perform forced labour.

The case was introduced by Ms Vira Oleksandrivna Vallye , the applicant ’ s sister.

No data available

59674/14

Sakhnevich v. Ukraine and Russia

30/08/2014

Vladimir Dmitriyevich SAKHNEVICH

02/11/1978

Bila Ts erkva

Vitaliy Eduardovych POGOSYAN

On 21 August 2014 the applicant was detained by the separatist militants of the so-called Donetsk People ’ s Republic (DPR) in the former Security Service of Ukraine ’ s building in Donetsk . Until his release on 10 September 2014 he was tortured, ill-treated and kept in inhuman and degrading conditions.

The case was introduced by Ms Oksana Anatoliyivna Sakhnevych , the applicant ’ s spouse.

Instituted on 26 August 2014 by the Zhytomyr City Department of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine in Zhytomyr region.

59913/14

Ryzhov v. Ukraine and Russia

01/09/2014

Dmytro Oleksandrovych RYZHOV

19/06/1985

Kyiv

Alina Viktorivna PAVLYUK

On 24 August 2014 the applicant was detained by the separatist militants of the so-called Donetsk People ’ s Republic (DPR) in the Snizhne pre-trial detention centre, and from 2 November 2014 in the former Security Service of Ukraine ’ s building in Donetsk . Until his release on 17 November 2014 he was tortured, ill-treated, kept in inhuman and degrading conditions and obliged to perform forced labour.

The case was introduced by Ms Oleksandra Oleksandrivna Burlakova , the applicant ’ s spouse.

Instituted on 31 August 2014 by the Sviyatoshyn District Department of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine in Kyiv.

On 28 January 2016 the applicant ’ s lawyer lodged a complaint with the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. He received a response with a recommendation that he should submit the complaint to the Ukrainian authorities.

60376/14

Komarov v. Ukraine and Russia

04/09/2014

Oleksiy Anatol i yovych KOMAROV

06/08/1976

Kryvyy Rig

Alina Viktorivna PAVLYUK

On 30 August 2014 the applicant was detained by the separatist militants of the so-called Donetsk People ’ s Republic (DPR) in the premises of the Donetsk military school . Until his release on 10 September 2014 he was ill-treated, kept in inhuman and degrading conditions and obliged to perform forced labour.

The case was introduced by Ms Iryna Oleksandrivna Silich , the applicant ’ s civil partner.

Instituted on 2 September 2014 by the Zhovtnevyy District Department of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk Region.

On 15 July 2015 the applicant lodged a complaint with the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. He received a response with a recommendation that he should submit his complaint to the Ukrainian authorities.

68990/14

Vagapova v. Ukraine and Russia

20/10/2014

Sofiya Pavlivna VAGAPOVA

03/05/1984

Odesa

Andriy Viktorovych LESHCHENKO

On 7 September 2014 the applicant was detained by the separatist militants of the so-called Donetsk People ’ s Republic (DPR) at first in the former Security Service of Ukraine ’ s building and subsequently in the building of the National Medical University in Donetsk . Until her release on 27 February 2014 she was tortured, ill-treated and kept in inhuman and degrading conditions.

The case was introduced by Ms Viktoriya Borysivna Barabash , the applicant ’ s mother.

Instituted on 13 September 2014 by the Prymorskyy District Department of the Odesa City Directorate of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine in Odesa Region.