LOYKO AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA - 42166/21 (Article 11 - Freedom of assembly and association : Second Section Committee) [2024] ECHR 524 (13 June 2024)

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Cite as: [2024] ECHR 524

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SECOND SECTION

CASE OF LOYKO AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA

(Applications nos. 42166/21 and 30 others -

see appended list)

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUDGMENT

 

STRASBOURG

13 June 2024

 

 

This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.

 


In the case of Loyko and Others v. Russia,

The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:

 Lorraine Schembri Orland, President,
 Frédéric Krenc,
 Davor Derenčinović, judges,

and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,

Having deliberated in private on 23 May 2024,

Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:

PROCEDURE


1.  The case originated in applications against Russia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ("the Convention") on the various dates indicated in the appended table.


2.  The Russian Government ("the Government") were given notice of the applications.

THE FACTS


3.  The list of applicants and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table.


4.  The applicants complained of the disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of public assemblies. Some applicants also raised other complaints under the provisions of the Convention.

THE LAW

  1. JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS


5.  Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.

  1. JURISDICTION


6.  The Court observes that the facts giving rise to the alleged violations of the Convention occurred prior to 16 September 2022, the date on which the Russian Federation ceased to be a party to the Convention. The Court therefore decides that it has jurisdiction to examine the present applications (see Fedotova and Others v. Russia [GC], nos. 40792/10 and 2 others, §§ 68-73, 17 January 2023).

  1. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 11 OF THE CONVENTION


7.  The applicants complained principally of disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of public assemblies, namely their arrest in relation to the dispersal of these assemblies and their conviction for administrative offences. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 11 of the Convention.


8.  The Court refers to the principles established in its case-law regarding freedom of assembly (see Kudrevičius and Others v. Lithuania [GC], no. 37553/05, ECHR 2015, with further references) and proportionality of interference with it (see Oya Ataman v. Turkey, no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006-XIV, and Hyde Park and Others v. Moldova, no. 33482/06, 31 March 2009).


9.  In the leading cases of Frumkin v. Russia, no. 74568/12, ECHR 2016 (extracts), Navalnyy and Yashin v. Russia, no. 76204/11, 4 December 2014 and Kasparov and Others v. Russia, no. 21613/07, 3 October 2013, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.


10.  Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of persuading it to reach a different conclusion as to the admissibility and merits of these complaints. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the interferences with the applicants' freedom of assembly were not "necessary in a democratic society".


11.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention.

  1. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS UNDER WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW


12.  Some applicants submitted other complaints which also raised issues under the Convention, given the relevant well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table). These complaints are not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, nor are they inadmissible on any other ground. Accordingly, they must be declared admissible.


13.  Having examined all the material before it, the Court concludes that these complaints also disclose violations of the Convention in the light of its findings in Butkevich v. Russia, no. 5865/07, §§ 63-65, 13 February 2018, Tsvetkova and Others v. Russia, nos. 54381/08 and 5 others, §§ 115-31, 10 April 2018, and Korneyeva v. Russia, no. 72051/17, §§ 34-36, 8 October 2019, as to various aspects of unlawful deprivation of liberty of organisers or participants of public assemblies; and Karelin v. Russia, no. 926/08, §§ 58-85, 20 September 2016, concerning the absence of a prosecuting party in the proceedings under the Code of Administrative Offences (the CAO).

  1. REMAINING COMPLAINTS


14.  Some applicants raised further additional complaints under Article 6 of the Convention concerning other aspects of fairness of the administrative-offence proceedings. In view of the findings above, the Court considers that there is no need to deal separately with these remaining complaints.

  1. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION


15.  Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case-law (see in particular Navalnyy and Others v. Russia [Committee], nos. 25809/17 and 14 others, § 22, 4 October 2022), the Court finds it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.

FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,

  1. Decides to join the applications;
  2. Holds that it has jurisdiction to deal with these applications as they relate to facts that took place before 16 September 2022;
  3. Declares the complaints under Article 11 of the Convention and the other complaints under the well-established case-law of the Court, as set out in the appended table, admissible, and finds that there is no need to examine separately the remaining complaints under Article 6 of the Convention;
  4. Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention;
  5. Holds that there has been a violation of the Convention as regards the other complaints raised under the well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table);
  6. Holds

(a)  that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amounts indicated in the appended table, to be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable at the date of settlement;

(b)  that from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement simple interest shall be payable on the above amounts at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points.

Done in English, and notified in writing on 13 June 2024, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.

 

 Viktoriya Maradudina Lorraine Schembri Orland

 Acting Deputy Registrar President

 

 


APPENDIX

List of applications raising complaints under Article 11 of the Convention

(disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies)

No.

Application no.

Date of introduction

Applicant's name

Year of birth

 

Representative's name and location

Name of the public event

Location

Date

Administrative / criminal offence

Penalty

Final domestic decision

Court Name

Date

Other complaints under

well-established case-law

Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant

(in euros)[1]

  1.    

42166/21

05/08/2021

Anna

Yevgenyevna LOYKO

1999

Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich

St Petersburg

Rally in front of a court to support 2 convicts

 

St Petersburg

 

22/06/2020

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

St Peterburg City Court

09/02/2021

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful deprivation of liberty, including unrecorded detention and detention without a judicial order and any other legal basis - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 3.01 p.m. until 7.23 p.m. on 22/06/2020,

 

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

 

4,000

  1.    

957/22

07/12/2021

Yaroslav Konstantinovich KUKSIN

2002

Pershakova Yelena

Yuryevna

Moscow

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO

fine of

RUB 20,000

Moscow City Court

09/06/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

 

3,500

  1.    

1731/22

16/12/2021

Yuliya

Pavlovna SAMOFEYEVA

1998

Mezak

Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Ukhta

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

16/06/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.    

1745/22

16/12/2021

Irina

Gennadyevna SHCHUKINA

1966

Mezak

Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Ukhta

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

16/06/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.    

5350/22

23/12/2021

Yelena

Leonidovna BOZHENOVA

1987

Mezak

 Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Magadan

 

21/04/2021

article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO

50 hours of community work

Magadan Regional Court

25/06/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

 

3,500

  1.    

5356/22

23/12/2021

Larisa

Anatolyevna YELFIMOVA

1968

Mezak

Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Ukhta

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

30/06/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.    

11180/22

11/02/2022

Aleksey

Mikhaylovich SKOVORODNIKOV

1992

Mezak

Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Syktyvkar

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

Fine of

RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

22/09/2021

 

3,500

  1.    

12057/22

08/02/2022

Konstantin Yevgenyevich MIRONOV

1986

Sharangiya

Sofya

Zurabovna

Nizhniy Novgorod

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

11/08/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.    

12092/22

16/02/2022

Vasilisa Aleksandrovna DESHEVYKH

1999

Polyakov

Daniil Alekseyevich

Voronezh

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Voronezh

 

21/04/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 15,000

Voronezh Regional Court

17/08/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

12097/22

16/02/2022

Semen Aleksandrovich KRASOVSKIY

1998

Polyakov

Daniil Alekseyevich

Voronezh

Rally "free Navalnyy"

 

Voronezh

 

21/04/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Voronezh Regional Court

17/08/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

12103/22

16/02/2022

Nikita

Igorevich

MINAKOV

1988

Polyakov

Daniil Alekseyevich

Voronezh

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Voronezh

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Voronezh Regional Court

20/08/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

12108/22

16/02/2022

Ivan

Mikhaylovich

BUNIN

2000

Polyakov

Daniil Alekseyevich

Voronezh

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Voronezh

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Voronezh Regional Court

24/08/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

14056/22

12/02/2022

Aleksandr

Olegovich

KOREPIN

1996

Mezak

Ernest Aleksandrovich

Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Syktyvkar

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 5,000

Supreme Court of the Komi Republic

18/08/2021

 

3,500

  1.  

14334/22

08/02/2022

Mikhail

Andreyevich TORGOVISHCHEV

1990

Sharangiya

Sofya

Zurabovna

Nizhniy Novgorod

Rally "Free Navalny"

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

19/08/2021

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 1.30 p.m. until 9.00 p.m. on 31/01/2021.

 

4,000

  1.  

14352/22

10/02/2022

Vera

Adamovna

STROK

2001

Sharangiya

Sofya

Zurabovna

Nizhniy Novgorod

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Moscow

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Moscow City Court

11/08/2021

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station after compiling an offence report from 5.40 p.m. on 31/01/2021,

 

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

 

4,000

  1.  

14552/22

08/02/2022

Oleg

Alekseyevich KHITRYUK

1996

Sharangiya

Sofya

Zurabovna

Nizhniy Novgorod

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO

fine of

RUB 5,000

Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

11/08/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 12.15 p.m. until 9.00 p.m. on 31/01/2021.

 

4,000

  1.  

22583/22

24/03/2022

Pavel

Ivanovich

FOMIN

1999

Polyakov

Daniil Sergeyevich

Voronezh

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Voronezh

 

23/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 5,000

Voronezh Regional Court

19/10/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 2.20 p.m. until 10.20 p.m. on 23/01/2021.

 

4,000

  1.  

23107/22

24/03/2022

Sergey Aleksandrovich PERTSEV

1996

Polyakov

Daniil Alekseyevich

Voronezh

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Voronezh

 

21/04/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Voronezh Regional Court

17/11/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 7.30 p.m. on 21/04/2021 until 1.40 a.m. on 22/04/2021.

 

4,000

  1.  

23134/22

21/03/2022

Lyubov

Davidovna MOLDAVSKAYA

1973

Usanova Olimpiada Valentinovna

Nizhniy Novgorod

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

31/01/2021

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

23/09/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 1.30 p.m. until 11.00 p.m. on 31/01/2021.

 

4,000

  1.  

31253/22

10/06/2022

Pavel

Ruslanovich KONYSHEV

1997

Polyakov

Daniil Alekseyevich

Voronezh

Rally "Free Navalnyy"

 

Voronezh

 

31/01/2021

 

 

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Voronezh Regional Court

16/12/2021

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

 

 

3,500

  1.  

36602/22

01/07/2022

Alisa

Vyacheslavovna ISAKOVA

2000

Kulikov

Sergey Sergeyevich

Nizhniy Novgorod

Rally in memory of Nemtsov

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

27/02/2022

article 20.2 § 2 of CAO

detention for 7 days

Nizhniy Novgorod City Court

04/03/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 4.55 p.m. on 27/02/2022 until 5.00 a.m. on 28/02/2022.

 

4,000

  1.  

40279/22

04/08/2022

Daniil

Dmitriyevich KORNILOV

1996

Podolskiy

Sergey Viktorovich

St Petersburg

Anti-war protest

 

St Petersburg

24/02/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

St Petersburg City Court

17/05/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 9.15 p.m. on 24/02/2022 until 10.00 p.m. on 25/02/2022.

 

4,000

  1.  

44866/22

25/08/2022

Darya

Sergeyevna STARTSEVA

1994

Kulikov

Sergey Sergeyevich

Nizhniy Novgorod

Anti-war protests

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

07/03/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

27/04/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

45077/22

24/08/2022

Stanislav Nikolayevich YELIZARENKOV

1990

Lapuzin

Aleksey Sergeyevich

Samara

Anti-war protest

 

Samara

 

27/02/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Samara Regional Court

28/04/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 3.40 p.m. on 27/02/2022. Released on the same day.

 

4,000

  1.  

45133/22

27/08/2022

Diana

Romanovna YAVLENINA

2002

Tregubova

Yuliya Mikhaylovna

Balashikha

Anti-war protests

 

Moscow

25/02/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 20,000

Moscow City Court

27/04/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 10.00 p.m. on 25/02/2022 for more than 3 hours.

 

4,000

  1.  

45185/22

25/08/2022

Ilya

Vladislavovich ALEKSEYEV

1993

Kulikov

Sergey Sergeyevich

Nizhniy Novgorod

Anti-war protests

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

06/03/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Nizhniy Novgorod City Court

18/05/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 6.05 p.m. on 06/03/2022 for 28 hours, until the court hearing held on 07/03/2022.

 

4,000

  1.  

45278/22

31/08/2022

Anton

Dmitriyevich SHAPKO

1994

Kulikov

Sergey Sergeyevich

Nizhniy Novgorod

Anti-war protests

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

06/03/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Nizhniy Novgorod City Court

18/05/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

45451/22

26/08/2022

Ilnur

Zufarovich GALIULLIN

1985

Sabirov

Rim

Faridovich

Kazan

Anti-war protests

 

Kazan

 

24/02/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Supreme Court of the Tatarstan Republic

27/04/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 7.15 p.m. on 24/02/2022 until 11.15 a.m. on 25/02/2022.

 

4,000

  1.  

45940/22

01/09/2022

Andrey Gennadyevich BUKAMIN

1984

Kulikov

Sergey Sergeyevich

Nizhniy Novgorod

Anti-war protests

 

Nizhniy Novgorod

 

06/03/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 10,000

Nizhniy Novgorod Regional Court

18/05/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 3.00 p.m. on 06/03/2022 until 4.30 p.m. on 07/03/2022.

 

4,000

  1.  

50644/22

07/10/2022

Kseniya

Valeryevna

BELOVA

1991

Sozonov

Ruslan Vladimirovich

Nizhniy Novgorod

Anti-war protests

 

Yekaterinburg

 

24/02/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 20,000

Sverdlovsk Regional Court

22/06/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.

3,500

  1.  

53611/22

08/11/2022

Yelena Aleksandrovna NESTEROVA

1979

Pershakova Yelena

Yuryevna

Moscow

Anti-war protests

 

Moscow

 

06/03/2022

article 20.2 § 5 of CAO

fine of

RUB 20,000

Moscow City Court

11/07/2022

Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings,

 

Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 3.12 p.m. until 8.16 p.m. on 06/03/2022.

 

4,000

 


[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.


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