FOURTH SECTION DECISION Application no. 7045/20 Laviniu-Daniel BĂJENARU against Romania and 9 other applications (see appended table) The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 24 April 2025 as a Committee composed of: Anne Louise Bormann , President , Sebastian Răduleţu, András Jakab , judges , and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having regard to the above applications lodged on the various dates indicated in the appended table, Having regard to the observations submitted by the respondent Government and the observations in reply submitted by the applicant, Having deliberated, decides as follows: FACTS AND PROCEDURE The list of applicants is set out in the appended table. The applicants’ complaints under Article 3 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention were communicated to the Romanian Government (“the Government”). THE LAW Joinder of the applications Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision. Complaints under Article 3 of the Convention (inadequate conditions of detention) Having examined all the material before it, the Court considers that for the reasons stated below, the present applications are inadmissible. The applicants complained principally of the inadequate conditions of their detention. They relied on Article 3 of the Convention. The Government argued that the applicants had failed to exhaust the available effective remedies for the complaints about the inadequate conditions of their detention, as the action in tort had become an effective remedy for grievances similar to those of the applicants, allowing them to have the violation of the Convention acknowledged, either explicitly or in substance, and to receive adequate and sufficient compensation at domestic level. The Government expressly referred to Vlad v. Romania (dec.), no. 122/17, 15 November 2022, in its observations, and invited the Court to declare the cases inadmissible. The Court recalls that in Polgar v. Romania , no. 39412/19, §§ 94 ‑ 96, 20 July 2021, it held that an action in tort, based on Articles 1349 and 1357 of the Romanian Civil Code, as interpreted consistently by the national courts, had represented since 13 January 2021 an effective remedy for individuals who considered that they had been subjected to inadequate conditions of detention, and who were no longer being held in conditions that were allegedly contrary to the Convention. Subsequently, in Vlad , cited above, §§ 24-32, the Court considered it appropriate to apply an exception to the general principle that the effectiveness of a given remedy was to be assessed with reference to the date on which the application was lodged. For all the above reasons and in the light of all the material in its possession, since the applicants ceased to be held in conditions of detention that were allegedly contrary to the Convention after the moment when the tort action had been considered as representing an effective remedy (see, mutatis mutandis , Polgar , § 96 and Vlad , § 23, both cited above; see the appended table for further details), but did not inform the Court of having brought such an action before the domestic courts, their applications must be dismissed for failure to exhaust domestic remedies. In the light of the foregoing, the Court considers that these applications must be dismissed on the ground that domestic remedies had not been exhausted, pursuant to Article 35 §§ 1 and 4 of the Convention. For these reasons, the Court, unanimously, Decides to join the applications ; Declares the applications inadmissible. Done in English and notified in writing on 15 May 2025. Viktoriya Maradudina Anne Louise Bormann Acting Deputy Registrar President APPENDIX List of applications raising complaints under Article 3 of the Convention (inadequate conditions of detention) No. Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Year of birth Facility Start and end date Duration 7045/20 04/06/2020 Laviniu-Daniel BĂJENARU 1976 Bucharest Police Station no. 4; Galați Prison 18/08/2011 to 23/07/2012 11 month(s) and 6 day(s) Brăila and Iași Prisons 24/12/2019 to 16/07/2024 4 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 23 day(s) 54921/20 18/01/2021 Alexandru PETCU 1989 Slobozia and Tulcea Prisons 24/12/2019 to 19/06/2024 4 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 27 day(s) 27642/21 17/06/2021 Alexandru BREZEANU 1958 Slobozia, Poarta Albă and Giurgiu Prisons 01/01/2012 to 07/09/2024 12 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 7 day(s) 47091/21 13/12/2021 Gheorghe MERLAN 1966 Codlea and Miercurea Ciuc Prisons; Dej Prison Hospital 24/12/2019 to 15/02/2024 4 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 23 day(s) 58754/21 25/11/2021 Ovidiu-Marius MOLCUȚ 1988 Craiova and Drobeta-Turnu Severin Prisons 13/05/2021 to 12/01/2025 3 year(s) and 8 month(s) 61409/21 15/01/2022 Cristian BADEA 1982 Teleorman County Police Station; Giurgiu, Mioveni and Jilava Prisons 11/02/2020 to 01/11/2023 3 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 22 day(s) 10229/22 14/06/2022 Cristian-Irinel GOLOMAN 1991 Gherla, Baia Mare and Oradea Prisons 05/11/2019 to 17/08/2022 2 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 13 day(s) 20251/22 02/06/2022 Alexandru-Marian MARCU 1995 Giurgiu Prison 08/05/2020 to 25/12/2024 4 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 18 day(s) 41396/22 16/09/2022 Gheorghiță-Ionuț POPESCU 1987 Focșani, Galați and Tulcea Prisons 04/06/2020 to 01/05/2024 3 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 28 day(s) 57821/22 31/01/2023 Costin-Valentin ISPIR 1988 Rahova and Jilava Prisons 27/10/2020 to 17/06/2024 3 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 22 day(s)