6.  The applicant was born in 1988 and is currently detained in Warsaw Służewiec Remand Centre.
7.  On 26 November 2010 the applicant was arrested by the police.
8.  On 27 November 2010 the Warsaw Wola District Prosecutor (Prokurator Rejonowy) charged the applicant with possession of a significant amount of drugs and requested that the Warsaw Wola District Court (Sąd Rejonowy) detain him on remand.
9.  On 28 November 2010 the court decided to detain the applicant on remand for a period of three months, in view of the reasonable suspicion that he had been in possession of a significant amount of drugs (III Kp 2159/10). The court applied this measure due to the high probability that the applicant had committed the offence with which he was charged, the severity of the maximum sentence provided by law for such offence (up to at least eight years’ imprisonment) and the fact that the likelihood of such a penalty might induce the applicant to obstruct the proceedings, as well as the fear that the applicant might influence other persons to present a version of events favourable to him.
10.  On 21 February 2011 the Warsaw Regional Court (Sąd Okręgowy) extended the applicant’s pre-trial detention. The court noted that the applicant had also been charged with being a member of an organised, armed criminal gang and pointed out the actions that needed to be taken to conclude the investigation.
11.  Between 18 March and 12 April 2011 the applicant partially served a prison sentence ordered in another set of criminal proceedings against him (III K 203/09).
12.  On 23 May the Warsaw Regional Court extended the applicant’s detention on remand. The court again relied on the severity of the anticipated sentence and possibly adverse consequences that the applicant’s release could have for the ongoing investigation.
13.  On 22 August 2011 the Warsaw Regional Court again extended the applicant’s detention on remand. It listed the charges against the applicant, which included, apart from those mentioned above, battery, making a profit from prostitution of others and destroying property. The court expressly stated that it was not obliged to specify actions aiming to obstruct the investigation, because the sole gravity of charges allowed for the presumption that such actions might be undertaken. It also pointed out that, while at large, the applicant might hinder the investigation concerning other members of the same gang.
14.  On 16 September 2011 a bill of indictment against the applicant and fourteen other persons was lodged with the Warsaw Regional Court (XVIII K 297/11).
15.  The applicant’s detention on remand was extended by the Warsaw Regional Court on 26 September 2011 until 30 March 2012.
16.  Between 24 October 2011 and 24 October 2012 the applicant served the remaining part of the prison sentence ordered in case III K 203/09, and from 24 October 2012 to 23 October 2013 he served a prison sentence ordered in another set of criminal proceedings against him (III K 1027/07).
17.  In the meantime, the Warsaw Regional Court extended the applicant’s detention on remand on 13 March, 4 July and 20 September 2012. The two latter decisions were upheld by the Warsaw Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny) on 31 July and 4 October 2012 respectively.
18.  The Warsaw Court of Appeal extended the applicant’s detention on 4 October 2012, 15 January, 13 June and 28 October 2013, 13 March, 29 July and 30 December 2014, 25 June and 22 October 2015 and on 26 January 2016. The court relied on a high probability that the applicant and other accused had committed the offences with which they had been charged and on the complexity of the case. The court also considered that the persons accused might take actions aiming at obstructing the proper course of the proceedings, because they had known other accused, and the charges against them included being members of an armed and organised criminal gang. The Court of Appeal also considered that there was a high likelihood of a severe sentence being imposed. The relevant decisions were often phrased in general terms and no particular instances of the applicant’s conduct during the investigation or at the judicial stage was provided to substantiate the extension of detention on remand.
19.  The applicant’s appeals against those decisions were unsuccessful. His numerous requests for release, including on bail, were dismissed.
20.  On 4 March 2016 the Warsaw Regional Court gave judgment. The applicant was convicted of multiple offences and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and to a fine of 8,000 Polish zlotys (PLN) (approximately 1,850 euros (EUR)). On the same date the applicant’s detention on remand was lifted.
21.  On 12 May 2017 the Warsaw Court of Appeal upheld that judgment in respect of the applicant.