PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 8363/04) 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, Sebastian Kliza (“the applicant”), on 20 February 2004.

The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr J. Wołąsiewicz of the Ministry of Foreign Affaires.

On 7 April 2006 the President of the Fourth Section decided to give notice of 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, Mr Sebastian Kliza, is a Polish national who was born in 1978 and lives in Mikołów, Poland.

A. The applicant's pre-trial detention

The applicant was arrested on 26 January 2001 on suspicion of having committed a series of armed robberies as a member of an organised criminal group. On 28 January 2001 the Tychy District Court (Sąd Rejonowy) ordered that he be detained pending the outcome of the investigation.

On 9 April 2001 the Katowice Regional Court (Sąd Okręgowy) prolonged his detention until 17 July 2001. It referred to the likelihood of a severe sentence of imprisonment being imposed on the applicant. It also stressed that his detention was justified by the need to obtain further evidence.

On 9 July 2001 the Katowice Regional Court prolonged his detention until 17 October 2001. It relied on the reasonable suspicion that the applicant had committed the offences with which he had been charged, which was supported by evidence from witnesses and experts. The court further considered that the need to secure the proper conduct of the investigation justified holding him in custody. It referred to the likelihood of a severe sentence of imprisonment being imposed on the applicant. It also relied on the risk that he might tamper with evidence.

On 8 October 2001 the Katowice Regional Court prolonged the applicant's detention until 17 January 2002. It repeated the grounds previously given for his detention.

On an unspecified date in January 2002, the applicant was indicted before the Tychy District Court. The bill of indictment comprised 44 charges of armed robbery committed by an organised criminal group. The charges in the bill of indictment concerned 4 co-accused.

During the proceedings the applicant's detention was extended on several occasions. On 15 January 2002 the Tychy District Court prolonged his detention until 17 July 2002. On 8 July 2002 the court ordered that the term should be prolonged until 17 October 2002. On 16 October 2002 it ordered that the applicant be kept in custody until 17 January 2003. It referred to the grounds for detention listed in the previous decisions.

On 2 January 2003 the Tychy District Court prolonged the applicant's detention until 26 January 2003. It repeated the grounds that had been given in the previous decisions and added that the case was complex, given the number of accused and victims. It further observed that the trial had not yet begun for reasons beyond the trial court's control.

On 22 January 2003 the Katowice Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny), on an application from the trial court, prolonged the applicant's detention until 26 June 2003. It repeated the grounds previously given for the applicant's detention. It also found that there were no special grounds, as specified in Article 259 § 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, that would justify lifting the detention and imposing a less severe measure.

On 25 June 2003, on an application from the Tychy District Court, the Katowice Court of Appeal extended the applicant's detention until 26 October 2003. The court relied on a strong suspicion that the applicant had committed the offences in question. The court also considered that, given the severity of the likely sentence and the fact that the applicant had been charged with acting in an organised criminal group, there was a risk that he would obstruct the proper course of the proceedings. It also acknowledged the delay in the proceedings and asked the trial court to expedite the examination of the case.

On 22 October 2003 the Katowice Court of Appeal, on an application from the Tychy District Court, prolonged the applicant's detention until 26 January 2004. It also stated that the proceedings were inordinately lengthy.

Subsequently, on 7 January 2004 the Katowice Court of Appeal, on an application from the trial court, prolonged the applicant's detention until 26 March 2004. On 17 March 2004 the Katowice Court of Appeal, on an application from the trial court, prolonged the applicant's detention until 26 May 2004. It stated that the delays in the proceedings were to a large extent caused by the failure to escort the accused to the court and the lack of discipline on the part of the parties to the proceedings.

In the meantime, the District Court had proceeded with the trial. Hearings listed for 10 May and 3 July 2002 were postponed. A hearing scheduled for 20 August 2002 was adjourned upon the request of one of the lawyers.

Of 17 hearings held between 30 January 2003 and 19 December 2003 10 were adjourned.

From 23 January to 2 April 2004 the court held 7 hearings. One of them was adjourned on account of the absence of one of the lawyers.

In the course of the proceedings the applicant made numerous, unsuccessful applications for release and appealed, likewise unsuccessfully, against refusals to release him and decisions extending his detention.

On 9 April 2004 the Tychy District Court convicted the applicant as charged and sentenced him to 8 years' imprisonment. He appealed.

The applicant's detention was subsequently prolonged on several occasions.

On 11 February 2005 the Katowice Regional Court amended the trial court's judgment, acquitted the applicant of the charge of acting in an organised criminal group and reduced the applicant's sentence to 6 years' imprisonment.

The applicant did not lodge a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court (Sąd Najwyższy).

In the meantime, between 13 September 2001 and 10 November 2002 and, subsequently, between 11 June 2003 and 11 November 2003 the applicant served prison sentences which had been imposed on him in other criminal proceedings.

B. Monitoring of the applicant's correspondence

On 1 March 2004 the Court received the applicant's first letter of 8 February 2004. The letter was sent while the applicant was detained in the Zabrze Detention Centre. The envelope bears the following stamps: “Zabrze Detention Centre received on 16.02.2004” (Areszt Śledczy w Zabrzu Wpłynęło dnia 16.02.2004) and “District Court in Tychy, censored” (Sąd Rejonowy w Tychach, cenzurowano), a hand-written sentence: “Z: without censorship” (Z: bez cenzury), a hand-written date: “18.2.4”, and an illegible signature.

On 27 April 2004 the Court received the applicant's application form. The envelope in which the application form was delivered bears the following stamps: “Zabrze Detention Centre received on 8.04.2004” (Areszt Śledczy w Zabrzu Wpłynęło dnia 8.04.2004) and “District Court in Tychy, censored” (Sąd Rejonowy w Tychach, cenzurowano), and an illegible signature.