Source: http://echr.ketse.com/doc/4657.02-en-20051018/view/
Timestamp: 2020-07-07 23:42:20
Document Index: 182463349

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application no. 4657', '§ 1', '§ 3', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 3']

POLAKOWSKI v. POLAND About Project
Application no. 4657/02
The applicant, Mr Krzysztof Polakowski, is a Polish national, who was born in 1964 and lives in Gdynia, Poland. He is represented before the Court by Mrs Iwona Polakowska, his wife.
On 28 October 1996 he was arrested by the police on suspicion of having committed armed robbery. On 29 October 1996 the Gdańsk District Court (Sąd Rejonowy) ordered that he be detained on remand until 28 January 1997. The court relied on the reasonable suspicion that he had committed the offence in question. It considered that, given the risk that the applicant might tamper with the evidence, keeping him in detention was necessary to secure the proper conduct of the proceedings. It also stressed the severity of the anticipated sentence.
In the course of investigation, the applicant’s detention was prolonged on several occasions. On 16 January 1997 the Gdańsk Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki) prolonged his detention until 29 April 1997. On 16 April 1997 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny) extended the applicant’s detention until 29 July 1997. On 16 July 1997 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal prolonged his detention until 27 October 1997.
On 17 September 1997 the Supreme Court (Sąd Najwyższy) extended the applicant’s and his 5 co-suspects’ detention until 31 December 1997. The court reiterated the original grounds for his detention. It also stressed the need to obtain and secure further evidence.
On an unspecified date, apparently in November 1997, the applicant was indicted on several charges of armed robbery committed in an organised group before the Gdańsk Regional Court.
On 7 January 1998 the Gdańsk Regional Court prolonged his detention until 21 September 1998. The court referred to the grounds for detention listed in the previous decisions. It also considered that the applicant’s detention was justified by the complexity of the case.
On 24 February 1998 the trial court held the first hearing.
During the proceedings the applicant’s detention was extended on several occasions. On 21 September 1998 the Supreme Court extended his detention until 30 January 1999. Subsequently, on 19 January 1999 the Supreme Court extended his detention until 30 June 1999. On 2 June 1999 the Supreme Court prolonged his detention until 31 December 1999.
On 14 December 1999 the Gdańsk Regional Court convicted the applicant of two counts of armed robbery and sentenced him to 7 years’ and 6 months’ imprisonment.
On 21 December 1999 the Gdańsk Regional Court ordered that the applicant’s detention be continued pending his appeal against the first-instance conviction up to 30 June 2000. Subsequently, on 21 June 2000 the Gdańsk Regional Court prolonged his detention until 30 November 2000.
On 22 November 2000 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal prolonged his detention until 31 January 2001. On 17 January 2001 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal extended his detention until 31 March 2001.
On 7 March 2001 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal quashed the first instance judgment and remitted the case to the Gdańsk Regional Court.
On 14 March 2001 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal prolonged the applicant’s detention until 31 June 2001. Subsequently, further decisions prolonging his detention were taken by the Gdańsk Regional Court. The relevant decisions were taken on the following dates: 19 June, 28 September and 28 December 2001, on 15 March and 21 June 2002.
On 31 July 2002 the applicant was released from detention.
It appears that the criminal proceedings against the applicant are still pending.
2. He further alleges that from 1 to 6 January 1998 he had been kept in detention without any legal basis as there was no judicial decision authorising his detention. He does not invoke any provision of the Convention.
3. He also complains under Article 6 § 1 read in conjunction with Article 6 § 3 (d) of the Convention about unfairness of the proceedings. The applicant submits that his defence rights were not respected and complains about the manner in which the courts assessed evidence.
2. The applicant further alleges that from 1 to 6 January 1998 he had been kept in detention without any legal basis as there was no judicial decision authorising his detention. The Court notes that this complaint should be examined under Article 5 § 1.
(c) the lawful arrest or detention of a person effected for the purpose of bringing him before the competent legal authority on reasonable suspicion of having committed an offence or when it is reasonably considered necessary to prevent his committing an offence or fleeing after having done so ... ”
The Court notes that on 31 December 1997 the detention order of 17 September 1997 had expired. On 7 January 1998 the grounds of the applicant’s detention on remand were examined by the Gdańsk Regional Court. The Court further notes that the applicant submitted this complaint to the Court on 22 January 2002 and the six-month period started running from the moment when the applicant appeared before a judge, i.e. 7 January 1998.
It follows that this part of the application is inadmissible for failure to respect the six-month rule referred to in Article 35 § 1 of the Convention and must be rejected under paragraph 4 of that Article.
3. The applicant also alleges a breach of Article 6 § 1 read in conjunction with Article 6 § 3 (b) of the Convention in that the criminal proceedings against him were conducted unfairly and his defence rights were not respected. In particular, he calls into question the manner in which the courts assessed evidence pointing out to his guilt.
POLAKOWSKI v. POLAND DECISION