Romanian individual wins case at the European Court of Human Rights over poor imprisonment conditions

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) recently issued a judgment against Romania, condemning the Romanian state for the poor conditions in jail and for breaking Human Rights Conventions. The ECHR took this decision in the case Cucu vs. Romania. The claimant, Viorel Cucu, complained to the Court of the jail conditions in Jilava and Giurgiu penitentiaries. The Court ruled non-pecuniary damages of EUR 13,000, as well as for EUR 4,000 in costs and expenses. Convicted, among other things, of robbery and sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment in November 2001, he complained about the conditions of his detention in two prisons, in particular on account of overcrowding and poor hygiene, and about the fact that he had been detained in solitary confinement between July 2003 and March 2004. “He further alleged that in November 2005 he had been beaten on three different occasions in prison by a special intervention squad and that the authorities had not carried out an effective investigation,” according to the ECHR. The Romanian also complained of the the automatic withdrawal of his voting rights. Romanian Association for the Protection of Human Rights (APADOR – CH) highlighted this recent decision should be a warning signal, as other similar decisions have been issued against Romania for substandard conditions in its prisons. editor@romania-insider.com