CASE OF SIMEONOVI v. BULGARIA
Hearing: Simeonovi v. Bulgaria (no. 21980/04) (Grand Chamber hearing, 2016-07-06 00:00:00)
Application no.: 21980/04
Document type: GRANDCHAMBER
Document date: 2017-05-12 00:00:00
ECLI: ECLI:CE:ECHR:2017:0512JUD002198004
Respondent state: BGR
Articles of the Convention: 3;6;6+6-3-c;6-1;6-3-c;41;46;46-2
Judges: Alena Poláčková;András Sajó;André Potocki;Angelika Nußberger;Dmitry Dedov;George Nicolaou;Georgios A. Serghides;Guido Raimondi;Helena Jäderblom;Jon Fridrik Kjølbro;Krzysztof Wojtyczek;Ledi Bianku;Luis López Guerra;Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska;Nebojša Vučinić;Päivi Hirvelä;Paul Lemmens;Paul Mahoney;Robert Spano;Yonko Grozev;Gabriele Kucsko-Stadlmayer;Ksenija Turković;Pere Pastor Vilanova
Represented by: MARGARITOVA-VUCHKOVA S.
Issue: 2009 Execution of Punishments and Pre-Trial Detention Act and its implementing regulations 
Strasbourg case-law cited: Aleksandr Zaichenko v. Russia, no. 39660/02, §§ 41-43, 18 February 2010;Averill v. the United Kingdom, no. 36408/97, ECHR 2000 VI;Azinas v. Cyprus [GC], no. 56679/00, § 32, ECHR 2004 III;Brusco v. France, no. 1466/07, §§ 47-50, 14 October 2010;Dayanan v. Turkey, no. 7377/03, 13 October 2009;Deweer v. Belgium, 27 February 1980, §§ 42-46, Series A no. 35;Dvorski v. Croatia [GC], no. 25703/11, ECHR 2015;Eckle v. Germany, 15 July 1982, § 73, Series A no. 51;Gäfgen v. Germany [GC], no. 22978/05, § 180, ECHR 2010;Håkansson and Sturesson v. Sweden, 21 February 1990, § 66, Series A no. 171-A;Harakchiev and Tolumov v. Bulgaria, nos. 15018/11 and 61199/12, § 280, ECHR 2014 (extracts).;Heaney and McGuinness v. Ireland, no. 34720/97, § 42, ECHR 2000 XII;Ibrahim and Others v. the United Kingdom [GC], nos. 50541/08, 50571/08, 50573/08 and 40351/09, ECHR 2016;Imbrioscia v. Switzerland, 24 November 1993, § 36, Series A no. 275;Ireland v. the United Kingdom, 18 January 1978, § 161 in fine, Series A no. 25;John Murray v. the United Kingdom, no. 18731/91, 8 February 1996, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1996 I;K. and T. v. Finland [GC], no. 25702/94, §§ 140 and 141, ECHR 2001 VII;Kurić and Others v. Slovenia [GC], no. 26828/06, §§ 235 and 236, ECHR 2012 (extracts);McFarlane v. Ireland [GC], no. 31333/06, § 143, 10 September 2010;Murray v. the Netherlands [GC], no. 10511/10, § 86, ECHR 2016;Pedersen and Baadsgaard v. Denmark [GC], no. 49017/99, § 44, ECHR 2004 XI;Pélissier and Sassi v. France [GC], no. 25444/94, § 66, ECHR 1999 II;Pishchalnikov v. Russia, no. 7025/04, 24 September 2009;Sakhnovskiy v. Russia [GC], no. 21272/03, § 90, 2 November 2010;Salduz v. Turkey [GC], no. 36391/02, ECHR 2008;Sejdovic v. Italy [GC], no. 56581/00, § 86, ECHR 2006 II;Stafford v. the United Kingdom [GC], no. 46295/99, §63, ECHR 2002-IV;Stanev v. Bulgaria [GC], no. 36760/06, §§ 254-55, ECHR 2012;Yankov and Others v. Bulgaria, no. 4570/05, § 23, 23 September 2010
External sources: Reports of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) following its visits to Bulgaria in 1999 (Burgas Investigation Detention Facility), 2002 (Burgas prison), 2006, 2008, 2014 and 2015 (Sofia Prison);Statement from European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) on 26 March 2015 on Bulgaria
Conclusion: Violation of Article 3 - Prohibition of torture (Article 3 - Degrading treatment;Inhuman treatment) (Procedural aspect);No violation of Article 6+6-3-c - Right to a fair trial (Article 6 - Criminal proceedings;Article 6-1 - Fair hearing) (Article 6 - Right to a fair trial;Article 6-3-c - Defence through legal assistance);Non-pecuniary damage - award (Article 41 - Non-pecuniary damage;Just satisfaction)
Separate opinion: TRUE