PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 6356/04) against the Republic of Poland lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a Polish national, Mr Dariusz Pasiński (“the applicant”), on 2 February 2004.

The Polish Government were represented by their Agent, Mr J. Wołąsiewicz of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On 19 April 2005 the President of the Fourth Section Court decided to communicate the application to the Government. Under the provisions of Article 29 § 3 of the Convention, it was decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1968 and is presently detained in the Koszalin Detention Centre.

On 19 June 2001 the applicant was arrested by the police on suspicion of having committed armed robbery acting in an organised criminal group. On 21 June 2001 the Opole District Court (Sąd Rejonowy) ordered that the applicant be remanded in custody in view of a reasonable suspicion that he had committed the offence in question, the severity of the penalty that could be expected and the need to secure the proper conduct of the investigation.

Subsequently, the Opole Regional Court (Sąd Okręgowy) prolonged the applicant’s detention on several occasions reiterating the grounds previously given.

On 22 February 2002 the Opole Regional Court decided to prolong the detention of the applicant relying, in addition to the earlier grounds, on the danger that given the complexity of the case and number of persons involved, there was a risk that the applicant might tamper with evidence or otherwise obstruct the proceedings.

On 18 June 2002 the Wroclaw Court of Appeal partly allowed the prosecutor’s request and prolonged the applicant’s pre-trial detention until 30 October 2002. Subsequently, on 5 September 2002 the Court of Appeal further prolonged the detention pointing to the fact that the investigation was in its final stages.

On 21 December 2002 the applicant was indicted before the Opole District Court. The bill of indictment was directed against twenty‑two co‑accused. The charges against the applicant included leading an organised criminal group, leading participation in several robberies and illegal possessing of firearms.

On 30 December 2002, the trial court prolonged the applicant’s detention relying on the strong probability that the applicant and 13 co‑accused had committed the offences with which he had been charged and on the severity of the sentence that could be imposed. The court further submitted that only detention would secure the applicant’s appearance at the trial.

On 14 May 2003 the Regional Court made an application under Article 263 § 4 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Kodeks postępowania karnego) to the Wroclaw Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny) asking that the applicant’s detention be prolonged beyond the statutory time-limit of two years.

On 21 May 2003 the Wrocław Court of Appeal granted that application and prolonged the detention of the applicant until 27 November 2003. The Court justified its decision with reference to the reasonable suspicion that he had committed the offences and the complexity of the case which concerned an organised criminal group and involved several co‑accused.

At the hearing held by the Opole Regional Court on 22 October 2003 the applicant’s application for release was dismissed.

On 26 November 2003 the Court of Appeal, upon another application under Article 263 § 4 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, prolonged the applicant’s detention until 22 January 2004. It reiterated the grounds previously given for keeping him in custody. The court also considered that, given the severity of the penalty that might be expected, the applicant might obstruct the proceedings.

That decision was upheld on appeal on 13 January 2004.

On 16 January 2004 the Wroclaw Court of Appeal prolonged the applicant’s detention upon the Regional Court’s application. The court stressed that, due to the complex nature of the case, the applicant should be kept in custody since the grounds previously given for his detention were still valid.

On 8 April 2004 the Regional Court made yet another application asking the Court of Appeal to prolong the applicant’s detention. On 16 April 2004 the court granted the application while noting the prolonged application of preliminary detention with respect to the applicant.

At the hearing held on 2 June 2004 the trial court further prolonged the detention of the applicant and other accused. The court acknowledged that the period of the applicant’s detention had been long. However, it was justified by the importance of the case and the severity of the possible penalty. Moreover, the court did not see any circumstances which argued in favour of applying a different preventive measure.

The applicant’s numerous applications for release and his appeals against the decisions prolonging detention were to no avail.

In total, the trial court held 43 hearings during which it heard 86 witnesses and the depositions of 130 other witnesses were read at the hearings. On 21 July 2004 the Opole Regional Court gave judgment. The applicant was convicted as charged and sentenced to twelve years’ imprisonment.

On 19 April 2005 the Wroclaw Court of Appeal partly dismissed the applicant’s appeal and lowered the sentence against him to eleven years’ imprisonment.

It appears that the Court of Appeal appointed for the applicant a legal-aid lawyer with the purpose of lodging on his behalf a cassation appeal. However, it is not clear whether a cassation appeal had actually been lodged.