FOURTH SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 42782/21
Telmo GOMES DA COSTA against Portugal
and 19 other applications
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 6 February 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 applicants,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
The list of applicants is set out in the appended table.
The applicant’s complaints under Article 3 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention were communicated to the Portuguese Government (“the Government”). In some of the applications, complaints based on the same facts were also communicated under other provisions of the Convention.
THE LAW
Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.
In the present applications, having examined all the material before it, the Court considers that for the reasons stated below, the complaints about the conditions of detention are inadmissible.
The applicants were detained in different prison facilities. During their last, most recent and/or entire period of their detention (for further details see appended table) the applicants were detained at Carregueira Prison (application no. 42782/2); Coimbra Prison (applications nos. 25231/22, 40615/22, 40624/22 and 44226/22); Sintra Prison (applications nos. 25578/22, 25580/22, 25585/22 and 46615/22); Pinheiro da Cruz Prison (applications nos. 31799/22 and 4357/22); Caxias Prison (applications nos. 38237/22, 41897/22 and 25583/22); Alcoentre Prison (application no. 38244/22); Izeda Prison (applications nos. 47611/22 and 47638/22); Vale de Judeus Prison (application no. 49466/22) and Elvas Prison (applications nos. 49655/22 and 49681/22).
Having regard to all the available material and the parties’ arguments, the Court finds that it cannot establish that the applicants suffered in these prison facilities from severe overcrowding of the kind that could entail, on its own, a violation of Article 3 (see Muršić v. Croatia [GC], no. 7334/13, 20 October 2016) nor can it be found that the cumulative effect of the other aspects of the detention which the applicants complained about reached the threshold of severity required to characterise the treatment as inhuman or degrading within the meaning of Article 3 (see Bokor v. Portugal, (dec.) no.5227/18, § 34, 10 December 2020).
It follows that the complaints concerning these periods of detention in the facilities indicated above (for further details see the appended table) are manifestly ill-founded and must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 a) and 4 of the Convention.
Concerning additional complaints under Article 3 raised by some of the applicants in respect of other periods of their detention, in light of the conclusion above, the Court finds that the applicants’ transfer to a prison or cell with adequate conditions of detention interrupted the “continuing situation” of their conditions of detention. Therefore, the complaints concerning the conditions of detention prior to their last prison transfer are belated (see Ananyev and Others v. Russia, nos. 42525/07 and 60800/08, §§ 75-78, 10 January 2012). Accordingly, these complaints must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 1 and 4 of the Convention.
Concerning applications nos. 42782/22, 31799/22, 38237/22, 38244/22, 41897/22, 44226/22, 47611/22, 47638/22, 49655/22, 49681/22, relying on Article 13 of the Convention, the applicants complained of the lack of an effective remedy in respect of their conditions of detention. The Court notes that, according to its established case-law, Article 13 of the Convention applied only where an individual has an “arguable claim” to be victim of a violation of a Convention right (see Boyle and Rice v. the United Kingdom, 27 April 1988, § 52, Series A no. 131; and Narcisio v. Netherlands (dec.), no. 47810/99, 27 January 2005). Having regard to the findings above as to the applicants’ complaints under Article 3 of the Convention about their conditions of detention, the Court concludes that they are not “arguable” and that therefore Article 13 is not applicable.
It follows that this part of the applications must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 §§ 3 (a) 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 6 March 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)
Application no. Date of introduction | Applicant’s name Year of birth | Representative’s name and location | Facility Start and end date Duration | Sq. m per inmate | Specific grievances | |
42782/21 02/08/2021 | Telmo GOMES DA COSTA 1973
| Carreto Vítor Torres Vedras | Lisbon Judicial Prison 16/06/2016 to 02/09/2016 2 months and 18 days
Caxias Prison 02/09/2016 to 28/07/2017 10 months and 27 days
Carregueira Prison 28/07/2017 to 10/08/2021 4 years and 14 days | 2 inmates 3.15 m² 1 toilet
2 inmates 1 toilet
5 inmates 5.32 m² 1 toilet | mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, overcrowding, lack of requisite medical assistance
overcrowding
lack of toiletries, lack of or insufficient electric light | |
25231/22 12/05/2022 | Luís Miguel CORREIA DE MELO 1986
| Mendes Martins Rodrigo Lisbon | Coimbra Prison 19/11/2019 to 05/12/2019 17 days
Coimbra Prison 05/12/2019 to 24/07/2021 1 year and 7 months and 20 days
Coimbra Prison 24/07/2021 to 16/02/2022 6 months and 24 days
Coimbra Prison 16/02/2022 to 22/09/2023 1 year and 7 months and 7 days | 5 inmates 4.32 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 6.19 m² 1 toilet
5 inmate 8.35 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 6.19 m² 1 toilet | sharing cells with inmates infected with contagious disease
idem
idem
idem | |
25578/22 18/05/2022 | Oleg POMPENKO 1959
| Gaspar Schwalbach José Lisbon | Lisbon Judicial Prison 31/01/2019 to 08/01/2020 11 months and 9 days
Caxias Prison 08/01/2020 to 11/05/2021 1 year and 4 months and 4 days
Sintra Prison 11/05/2021 to 06/09/2022 1 year and 3 months and 27 days | 2 inmates 3.20 m² 1 toilet
3 inmates 3.66 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 5.18 m² 1 toilet | overcrowding, inadequate temperature, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food
idem
- | |
25580/22 18/05/2022 | Denys KRAVCHENKO 1978
| Gaspar Schwalbach José Lisbon | Lisbon Judicial Prison 31/01/2019 to 15/02/2019 16 days Caxias Prison 15/02/2019 to 16/11/2021 2 years and 9 months and 2 days
Sintra Prison 16/11/2021 to 30/08/2022 9 months and 15 days | 2 inmates 3.2 m² 1 toilet
4 inmates 4 m² 1 toilet
3 inmates 4.2 m² 1 toilet | overcrowding, inadequate temperature, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of privacy for toilet, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food
idem
- | |
25583/22 18/05/2022 | Ruslan SUTA 1982
| Gaspar Schwalbach José Lisbon | Lisbon Central Prison 31/01/2019 to 20/02/2019 21 days
Caxias Prison 20/02/2019 to 03/02/2021 1 year and 11 months and 15 days
Caxias Prison 03/02/2021 to 11/05/2022 1 year and 3 months and 9 days
Caxias Prison 11/05/2022 to 31/01/2023 8 months and 21 days | 2 inmates 3.15 m² 1 toilet
2 inmates 5.5 m² 1 toilet
10 inmates 4.10 m² 1 toilet
4 inmates 4 m² 1 toilet | overcrowding, inadequate temperature, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food
-
-
- | |
25585/22 18/05/2022 | Dmytro OVSIANNIKOV 1986
| Gaspar Schwalbach José Lisbon | Lisbon Judicial Prison 31/01/2019 to 20/02/2019 21 days
Caxias Prison 20/02/2019 to 16/11/2021 2 years and 8 months and 28 days
Sintra Prison 16/11/2021 to 23/08/2022 9 months and 8 days | 2 inmates 3.2 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 11 m² 1 toilet
3 inmates 4.2 m² 1 toilet | inadequate temperature, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, poor quality of food, overcrowding
-
- | |
31799/22 01/08/2022 | Luis Filipe FIGUEIREDO SOBREIRA 1966
| Carreto Vítor Torres Vedras | Lisbon Central Prison 15/12/2012 to 12/04/2018 5 years and 3 months and 29 days
Pinheiro da Cruz Prison 12/04/2018 to 07/01/2020 1 year and 8 months and 27 days
Pinheiro da Cruz Prison 07/01/2020 to 18/10/2023 3 years and 9 months and 12 days
Pinheiro da Cruz Prison 18/10/2023 pending More than 4 months and 12 days | 2 inmates 3.72 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 5.55 m² 1 toilet
3 inmates 5.47 m² 1 toilet
2 inmates 10.48 m² 1 toilet | overcrowding, lack of fresh air, inadequate temperature, poor quality of food, mouldy or dirty cell, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of requisite medical assistance, lack of privacy for toilet
-
-
- | |
38237/22 01/08/2022 | Pedro Miguel ANDRADE ARAÚJO 1985
| Carreto Vítor Torres Vedras | Caxias Prison 23/04/2019 to 28/11/2022 3 years and 7 months and 6 days | 10 inmates >3.37 m² 1 toilet | poor quality of food | |
38244/22 01/08/2022 | Ezequiel António DA SILVA CANDEIAS 1982
| Carreto Vítor Torres Vedras | Alcoentre Prison 30/07/2021 to 09/02/2022 6 months and 11 days
Alcoentre Prison 09/02/2022 to 04/05/2022 2 months and 26 days
Alcoentre Prison 04/05/2022 to 12/12/2022 7 months and 9 days
Alcoentre Prison 12/12/2022 pending More than 5 months and 27 days | 2 inmates 4 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 5.20 m² 1 toilet
5 inmates 3.90 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 5.20 m² 1 toilet | poor quality of food, lack of fresh air
idem
idem
idem | |
40615/22 12/08/2022 | Danilo MONTEIRO CARDOSO 1980
| Mendes Martins Rodrigo Lisbon | Aveiro Prison 12/06/2015 to 18/04/2016 10 months and 7 days
Coimbra Prison 18/04/2016 to 03/05/2017 1 year and 16 days
Coimbra Prison 03/05/2017 to 22/12/2021 4 years and 7 months and 20 days
Coimbra Prison 22/12/2021 to 28/12/2022 1 year and 7 days
Coimbra Prison 28/12/2022 to 08/04/2023 3 months and 12 days | 6 inmates 3.72 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 6.20 m² 1 toilet
2 inmates 3.10 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 6.20 m² 1 toilet
2 inmates 8.37 m² 1 toilet | bunk beds, inadequate temperature, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of fresh air, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack of privacy for toilet, mouldy or dirty cell, no or restricted access to potable water, overcrowding, passive smoking, poor quality of food, lack of requisite medical assistance, no or restricted access to shower
-
No privacy for toilet
-
- | |
40624/22 12/08/2022 | João Filipe CARDOSO PINTO DAMAS 1989
| Mendes Martins Rodrigo Lisbon | Coimbra Prison 16/09/2020 to 30/06/2023 2 years and 9 months and 15 days
Coimbra Prison 30/06/2023 to 17/11/2023 4 months and 19 days | 2 inmates 3.10 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 6.20 m² 1 toilet | poor quality of food
- | |
41897/22 22/08/2022 | Rodrigo DE MOURA PEREIRA DO VALLE BRAK-LAMY 1985
| Carreto Vítor Torres Vedras | Caxias Prison 01/03/2019 to 04/01/2021 1 year and 10 months and 4 days
Caxias Prison 04/01/2021 to 27/12/2021 11 months and 24 days
Caxias Prison 27/12/2021 to 23/02/2023 1 year and 1 month and 28 days | 2 inmates 5.5 m² 1 toilet
10 inmates 4.10 m² 1 toilet
7 inmates 4.34 m² 1 toilet | lack of toiletries, absence of an alarm system in the cell
idem
idem | |
43574/22 06/09/2022 | Slavko VESELINOVIĆ 1968
|
| Horta Prison 29/05/2015 to 28/07/2015 2 months
Angra do Heroismo Prison 28/07/2015 to 14/09/2021 6 years and 1 month and 18 days
Pinheiro da Cruz Prison 14/09/2021 to 28/11/2022 1 year and 2 months and 15 days
| 3 inmates 1.66 m² 1 toilet
2 inmates 1 toilet
2 inmates 3 m² 1 toilet | overcrowding, lack of or insufficient electric light, humidity, mouldy or dirty cell, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of requisite medical assistance
overcrowding, lack of privacy for toilet, no separation between shower and cell, poorly insulated windows, humidity, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air, lack of or restricted access to leisure or educational activities, poor quality of food
- | |
44226/22 06/09/2022 | Manuel António MONTEFERREIRO FIDALGO 1974
| Carreto Vítor Torres Vedras | Braga Prison 08/03/2019 to 20/07/2020 1 year and 4 months and 13 days
Coimbra Prison 20/07/2020 to 16/09/2020 1 month and 28 days
Coimbra Prison 16/09/2020 pending More than 3 years and 2 months and 22 days
| 2 inmates 4.55 m² 1 toilet
2 inmates 15 m² 1 toilet
2 inmates 3.10 m² 1 toilet | overcrowding, mouldy or dirty cell, passive smoking, lack of privacy for toilet, inadequate temperature, poor quality of food
-
- | |
46615/22 26/09/2022 | Malik Shabaz SPENCER 1991
| Gaspar Schwalbach José Lisbon | Lisbon Central Prison 10/01/2020 to 25/05/2022 2 years and 7 months and 8 days
Sintra Prison 25/05/2022 to 01/03/2023 9 months and 5 days
| 2 inmates 2.5 m² 1 toilet
3 inmates 4.20 m² 1 toilet | overcrowding, lack of privacy for toilet, lack of fresh air, no or restricted access to warm water, humidity, mouldy or dirty cell, lack or inadequate furniture, infestation of cell with insects/rodents
- | |
47611/22 03/10/2022 | Agustin RODRIGUEZ RODRIGUES 1996
| Carreto Vítor Torres Vedras | Porto Prison 11/04/2018 to 06/11/2019 1 year and 6 months and 27 days
Izeda Prison 06/11/2019 to 03/03/2023 3 years and 3 months and 26 days | 2 inmates 3 m² 1 toilet
6 inmates 3.05 m² 1 toilet | overcrowding, lack of fresh air
- | |
47638/22 03/10/2022 | Sérgio Paulo DOS SANTOS BORGES 1977
|
| Izeda Prison 26/01/2022 pending More than 1 year and 9 months and 8 days | 6 inmates 3.16 m² 1 toilet |
- | |
49466/22 13/10/2022 | Fábio Filipe SANTANA NUNES 1987
| Mendes Martins Rodrigo Lisbon | Vale de Judeus Prison 29/03/2022 to 18/09/2023 1 year and 5 months and 21 days
| 1 inmate 5.7 m² 1 toilet |
- | |
49655/22 17/10/2022 | Fábio David DA SILVA AGOSTINHO 1988
| Carreto Vítor Torres Vedras | Beja Prison 11/03/2017 to 01/04/2021 4 years and 24 days
Pinheiro da Cruz Prison 01/04/2021 to 01/09/2022 1 year and 5 months and 1 day
Elvas Prison 01/09/2022 to 09/03/2023 6 months and 9 days | 7 inmates 3 m² 1 toilet
1 inmate 6 m² 1 toilet
4 inmates 3.87 m² 1 toilet | overcrowding, poor quality of food, lack of or insufficient quantity of food, lack of requisite medical assistance, inadequate temperature, humidity, lack of privacy for toilet, infestation of cell with insects/rodents, lack of or poor quality of bedding and bed linen, lack of or insufficient physical exercise in fresh air
| |
49681/22 17/10/2022 | Soulimane BERDADI 1968
| Carreto Vítor Torres Vedras | Elvas Prison 08/08/2022 to 30/09/2022 1 month and 23 days
| 5 inmates 3.10 m² 1 toilet | - |