CEDH · CASELAW;COMMUNICATEDCASES;ENG — 25 octobre 2022

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .s379BC09C { margin-top:36pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s10950C61 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.2pt; text-align:justify } .s5E1364CA { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:14pt } .s339D85E6 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s665E407E { margin-top:66pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s4ACA9207 { page-break-before:always; clear:both; mso-break-type:section-break } .s23860FF7 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.2pt; text-align:center } .s75A32C27 { border-collapse:collapse } .s3695F815 { border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .sD7287D91 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; font-size:9pt } .sEECE831 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#474747 } .sE8934522 { border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s5FFF0A7F { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:9pt } .sB217F55E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify; font-size:9pt } .sA1D3DA2E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } Published on 14 November 2022   FIRST SECTION Application no. 73964/17 Boris AVETISYAN against Poland and 8 other applications (see list appended) communicated on 25 October 2022 SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE The applications concern strip searches the applicants had to undergo while imprisoned. None of the applicants were classified as “dangerous detainees”. The applicants lodged applications, complaints and appeals with various bodies of the prison system and the judiciary but all of them were dismissed. The applicants essentially complain, under Article 3 of the Convention, that the unjustified strip searches constituted degrading treatment, and under Article 8, that they violated their right to respect for their private lives. Details of each application are summarised in the appended table. QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES 1.     Have the applicants been subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment, in breach of Article 3 of the Convention (see, for example, Roth v. Germany , nos. 6780/18 and 30776/18, §§ 70-72, 22 October 2020)? Reference is made to the applicants’ allegations concerning the circumstances of the strip searches which were carried out without any apparent justification and in some cases were numerous and routine.   2.     Do the relevant facts of the applications give rise to a violation of the applicants’ right to their private life contrary to Article 8 of the Convention (see, Milka v. Poland , no. 14322/12, §§ 41-50, 15 September 2015, and Dejnek v. Poland , no. 9635/13, §§ 70-77, 1 June 2017)?   APPENDIX   No. Application no. Case name Introduction date Applicant’s name Year of birth   Place of residence Nationality Place of detention Alleged number of strip searches Period in question Circumstances of strip searches as submitted by the applicant Domestic remedies used 1. 73964/17 Avetisyan v.   Poland 10/10/2017 Boris AVETISYAN 1976 Iława Armenian Strzelce Opolskie Prison no. 1 Sieradz Prison 130 05/03/2012 - 07/01/2018 After every visit received by the applicant Complaint of 02/07/2017 to the Opole Regional Inspectorate of the Prison Service – dismissed on 11/09/2017. 2. 47321/18 Ścisło v.   Poland 02/10/2018 Rafał ŚCISŁO 1980 Strzelce Opolskie Polish Strzelce Opolskie Prison no. 1 48 28/05/2018 - 30/09/2019 After coming back from work, with irregular intervals. Complaint of 07/06/2018 to the Opole Regional Inspectorate of the Prison Service – dismissed on 25/07/2018. Complaint of 04/11/2019 to the Strzelce Opolskie Prison no. 1 Governor – dismissed on 08/11/2019. Appeal to the Opole Regional Inspectorate of the Prison Service – dismissed on 14/01/2020. 3. 22286/19 Michalski v.   Poland 09/04/2019 Oskar MICHALSKI 1983 Strzelce Opolskie Polish Strzelce Opolskie Prison no. 1 4 15/11/2018 - 29/12/2018 After coming back from work Complaint of 31/12/2018 to the Opole Regional Inspectorate of the Prison Service – dismissed on 19/02/2019. 4. 24637/19 Zakrzewski v. Poland 29/04/2019 Łukasz ZAKRZEWSKI 1986 Zabrze Polish Strzelce Opolskie Prison no. 1 1 15/11/2018 Before going to work Complaint of 11/12/2018 to the Opole Regional Inspectorate of the Prison Service – dismissed on 01/02/2019. 5. 51339/19 Polaczek v.   Poland 25/09/2019 Tomasz POLACZEK 1980 Strzelce Opolskie Polish Herby Prison unspecified (multiple occasions) 13/05/2016 - 21/03/2019 After every received visit, after every day of work between 30/11/2017 and 21/03/2019 On 17/07/2019 the applicant requested the Herby Prison Governor to provide him with copies of strip searches reports. In the response dated 05/08/2019 the Governor informed him that no records had been kept. On 14/08/2019 the applicant sent a complaint to the Częstochowa Penitentiary Court - dismissed on 26/08/2019. 6. 10768/20 Maksymiuk v. Poland 17/02/2020 Marcin Stanisław MAKSYMIUK 1980 Żory Polish Gliwice Remand Centre 1 10/03/2019 After a family visit received by the applicant Complaint of 14/10/2019 – dismissed by the Katowice Regional Inspectorate of the Prison Service on 04/12/2019. 7. 26109/20 Kraj v.   Poland 15/06/2020 Maciej KRAJ 1997 Hrubieszów Polish Zamość Prison 1 12/07/2019 After a family visit received by the applicant Complaint of 05/10/2019 dismissed by the Zamość Prison Governor. Appeal to the Lublin Regional Inspectorate of the Prison Service – dismissed on 19/02/2020. 8. 26132/20 Czarniecki v. Poland 18/06/2020 Paweł CZARNIECKI 1992 Cieszanów Polish Uherce Mineralne Prison 2 09/12/2018 Before and after one family visit Request for launching a criminal investigation into the events - refused on 14/01/2019. After the applicant’s interlocutory appeal, the Lesko District Court quashed the impugned decision and ordered that the investigation be conducted. On 31/07/2019 the investigation was discontinued and the applicant’s following interlocutory appeal was dismissed by the Lesko District Court on 09/12/2019. 9. 35815/20 Martyniuk v.   Poland 03/09/2020 Oskar Wiktor MARTYNIUK 1994 Zamość Polish Zamość Prison unspecified (allegedly the strip searches were carried out every day) 12/05/2020 – 03/09/2020 After every walk, visit, hearing, day of work, visit in the warehouse Application to the Lublin Penitentiary Court for ordering the cessation of strip searches - transmitted to the Zamość Prison Governor who dismissed it on 27/07/2020.