FOURTH SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 444/23
Constantin-Dumitru BĂNUŢĂ against Romania
and 59 other applications
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 18 December 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 deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
The list of applicants and the relevant information is set out in the appended table.
The applicants complained under Article 3 of the Convention about the inadequate conditions of their detention (see the appended table for details).
THE LAW
Joinder of the applicationsHaving 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 applicants’ complaints under Article 3 of the Convention about poor conditions of their ongoing detention are inadmissible.
The Court recalls that in Văscăuțanu v. Romania (dec.), no. 10120/23, §§ 47–59, 18 November 2025, it held that the remedy, which consists of lodging a complaint with the judge responsible for supervising the deprivation of liberty (plângerea în fața judecătorului de supraveghere a privării de libertate), provided for by Article 56 of Law no. 254/2013, has constituted, as of 6 April 2023, an effective remedy enabling individuals who allege that they are being held in inadequate conditions of detention to put an end to their situation that they denounced as being contrary to Article 3 of the Convention.
In light of all the material in its possession, the Court observes that the applicants, who allege that they are being held in inadequate conditions of detention, did not indicate that they pursued the available remedy before the domestic courts (see Văscăuțanu, cited above, § 65).
In view of the above, the Court finds that the applicants’ complaints concerning the periods set out in the appended table must be rejected for failure to exhaust the domestic remedy laid down in Article 56 of Law no. 254/2013, in accordance with Article 35 §§ 1 and 4 of the Convention.
Remaining complaintsSome applicants also raised additional complaints under various Convention provisions.
The Court has examined the applications listed in the appended table and considers that, in the light of all the material in its possession and in so far as the matters complained of are within its competence, these complaints either do not meet the admissibility criteria set out in Articles 34 and 35 of the Convention or do not disclose any appearance of a violation of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Convention or the Protocols thereto.
It follows that this part of the applications must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 § 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 29 January 2026.
 
 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
 
Representative’s name and location
Facility
Start and end date
Duration
   444/23
30/01/2023
Constantin Dumitru BĂNUȚĂ
1990
 
 
 
Giurgiu Prison
22/12/2019
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 7 day(s)
 
   1617/23
12/04/2023
Vasile-Cătălin BARBU
1999
 
 
 
Giurgiu and Bucharest-Jilava Prisons
03/06/2020
pending
More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 23 day(s)
 
   1820/23
02/02/2023
Mircea Adrian PANAITE
1981
 
 
 
Oradea and Tulcea Prisons
13/04/2022
pending
More than 10 month(s) and 16 day(s)
 
   2986/23
24/07/2023
Constantin IONESCU
1975
 
 
 
Bucharest Police detention facility no. 9 and Teleorman County Police Station; Giurgiu, Focșani, Bucharest-Rahova and Bucharest‑Jilava Prisons
22/09/2020
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 23 day(s)
 
   3629/23
12/01/2023
Botond Szilamer BENEDEK
1981
 
 
 
Codlea Prison
08/02/2021
pending
More than 2 year(s) and 21 day(s)
 
   3896/23
08/01/2023
Radu ADAM
1989
 
 
 
Botoșani, Vaslui, Tulcea, Arad and Iași Prisons
25/12/2011
pending
More than 13 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 28 day(s)
 
   4058/23
10/02/2023
Ștefan-Marin DEINEȘ
1985
 
 
 
Bucharest-Rahova, Baia Mare, Aiud and Gherla Prisons
05/11/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 2 day(s)
 
   5680/23
03/04/2023
Liviu-Gabriel ANDREESCU
1967
 
 
 
Bucharest-Rahova and Bucharest‑Jilava Prisons
06/05/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 22 day(s)
 
   5787/23
10/03/2023
Cristian-Marius CARABIŢEANU
1982
 
 
 
Bucharest-Rahova and Bucharest‑Jilava Prisons
01/10/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 5 day(s)
 
 5820/23
11/04/2023
Cătălin NACU
1988
 
 
 
Giurgiu, Craiova and Arad Prisons
23/12/2019
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 26 day(s)
 
 5857/23
23/03/2023
Emanuel CIOTLOŞ
1998
 
 
 
Bacău, Bucharest-Rahova, Gherla and Arad Prisons
12/09/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 25 day(s)
 
 7635/23
09/03/2023
Emil BORDEI
1944
 
 
 
Mioveni Prison
20/01/2014
pending
More than 11 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 12 day(s)
 
 9434/23
14/03/2023
Ionel TĂNASE
1980
 
 
 
Mioveni and Găești Prisons
21/01/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 1 day(s)
 
 9691/23
17/02/2023
Ovidiu Cristian BOGDAN
1993
 
 
 
Aiud, Târgu Mureș and Deva Prisons
29/07/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 3 day(s)
 
 10768/23
25/04/2023
Gabriel DUMITRU
1993
 
 
 
Slobozia, Bucharest-Rahova, Mioveni and Bucharest-Jilava Prisons; Bucharest-Rahova Prison Hospital
12/05/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 30 day(s)
 
 11431/23
10/04/2023
Marin LIBIU
1954
 
 
 
Bucharest-Rahova, Mărgineni, Ploiești and Mioveni Prisons
01/03/2016
pending
More than 9 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 14 day(s)
 
 11493/23
06/04/2023
Robert-Alin MANU
1991
 
 
 
Galați County Police Station and Galați Prison
14/07/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 1 day(s)
 
 13300/23
26/07/2023
Florin Marius CANDOI
1993
 
 
 
Aiud, Oradea, Deva, Bucharest‑Jilava, Timișoara and Arad Prisons
29/11/2017
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 8 day(s)
 
 13411/23
25/04/2023
Mihai-Gheorghe VĂDANA
1986
 
 
 
Mioveni and Arad Prisons
14/04/2014
pending
More than 11 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 8 day(s)
 
 13962/23
02/05/2023
Constantin RĂDUCU
1989
 
 
 
Aiud Prison
02/11/2022
pending
More than 6 month(s) and 30 day(s)
 
 14383/23
28/04/2023
Cornel-Adrian BOCIOC
1979
 
 
 
Focșani, Mărgineni, Arad, Galați and Giurgiu Prisons
23/12/2019
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 9 day(s)
 
 14441/23
29/05/2023
Marian-Viorel BULMĂU
1987
 
 
 
Galați and Brăila Prisons
22/10/2020
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 13 day(s)
 
 14738/23
03/07/2023
Ninel BUNOAICĂ
1980
 
 
 
Giurgiu and Tulcea Prisons
24/01/2018
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 11 day(s)
 
 15567/23
17/05/2023
Vasile BARBU
1964
 
 
 
Craiova and Drobeta-Turnu Severin Prisons; Mioveni Prison Hospital
20/04/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 9 day(s)
 
 15572/23
03/05/2023
Nelu ASAVEI
1986
 
 
 
Codlea, Miercurea Ciuc, Aiud and Deva Prisons; Dej Prison Hospital
20/05/2013
pending
More than 12 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 5 day(s)
 
 15588/23
12/05/2023
George BUJOR
1973
 
 
 
Bucharest Police detention facility no. 15; Giurgiu and Bucharest‑Rahova Prisons
20/10/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 15 day(s)
 
 15766/23
19/07/2023
Mihăiţă ARAMĂ
1990
 
 
 
Brăila County Police Station and Galați Prison
18/12/2022
pending
More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 7 day(s)
 
 16893/23
17/05/2023
Radu CIURAR
1970
 
 
 
Alba County, Mureș County and Maramureș County Police Stations; Gherla Prison
25/06/2020
pending
More than 2 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 13 day(s)
 
 17464/23
07/06/2023
Paul-Cristian MUREŞAN
1988
 
 
 
Maramureș County and Alba County Police Stations, and Gherla Prison
05/10/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 13 day(s)
 
 17973/23
20/06/2023
Constantin BĂDULESCU
1985
 
 
 
Bucharest-Rahova, Mărgineni and Mioveni Prisons
24/03/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 4 day(s)
 
 18701/23
06/07/2023
Ionel CORBU
1973
 
 
 
Focșani, Ploiești and Găești Prisons
02/11/2017
pending
More than 8 year(s) and 5 day(s)
 
 19083/23
02/06/2023
Damian-Vasile CIERNOVICI
2001
 
 
 
Gherla, Aiud and Craiova Prisons
01/01/2020
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 5 day(s)
 
 19572/23
13/06/2023
Costel BĂTRÎNU
1980
 
 
 
Brăila Prison
30/09/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 1 month(s)
 
 20457/23
16/05/2023
Gelu BĂLAN
1972
 
 
 
Galați and Vaslui Prisons
03/11/2022
pending
More than 2 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 26 day(s)
 
 20781/23
25/07/2023
Florică DUMITRU
1965
 
 
 
Giurgiu and Mioveni Prisons
21/09/2023
pending
More than 2 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 21 day(s)
 
 21768/23
03/07/2023
Sergiu BĂHĂIAN
1962
 
 
 
Slobozia, Bucharest-Rahova and Giurgiu Prisons; Bucharest-Jilava Prison Hospital
16/01/2010
pending
More than 15 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 12 day(s)
 21811/23
22/06/2023
Cătălin HASAN
1977
 
Petrescu-Filote
Cătălina-Alexandra
Focșani
Focșani, Galați, Mărgineni, Tulcea, Vaslui, Ploiești and Bucharest-Jilava Prisons
10/12/2019
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 4 day(s)
 
 22180/23
16/08/2023
Tiberiu Edgar BARBU
1987
 
 
 
Bucharest-Jilava Prison
23/12/2019
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 7 day(s)
 
 23331/23
24/05/2023
Cosmin-Ilie ASTRATINEI
2000
 
 
 
Iași, Botoșani and Giurgiu Prisons
06/07/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 19 day(s)
 
 24230/23
30/06/2023
Vasile BUSUIOC
1985
 
 
 
Aiud Prison
22/03/2023
pending
More than 2 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 14 day(s)
 
 24369/23
25/07/2023
Andrei-Constantin TODORESCU
1994
 
 
 
Arad Prison
04/12/2021
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 18 day(s)
 
 24861/23
25/07/2023
Florin BORZAŞI
1992
 
 
 
Mărgineni, Gherla and Bistrița Prisons
04/02/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 28 day(s)
 24862/23
22/08/2023
Dumitru SECHEI
1950
 
 
 
Deva Police Station, Dej Prison Hospital, and Aiud, Arad and Deva Prisons
06/03/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 14 day(s)
 
 25994/23
23/10/2023
Ioan ALBU
1984
 
Nichita-Costescu Cezara‑Maria
Timișoara
Arad and Timișoara Prisons
11/10/2021
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 13 day(s)
 
 26987/23
29/08/2023
Ionut Andrei Cristian ZIEGLER
1996
 
 
 
Bucharest-Rahova and Bucharest-Jilava Prisons
09/03/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 13 day(s)
 
 27105/23
25/07/2023
Marian STANCIU
1980
 
 
 
Bucharest-Rahova and Giurgiu Prisons
20/10/2020
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 1 day(s)
 
 27845/23
08/08/2023
Gheorghe BALABAN
1976
 
 
 
Galați and Brăila Prisons
14/02/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 14 day(s)
 
 28753/23
13/07/2023
Janos MIHALY
1996
 
 
 
Aiud Prison
02/01/2018
pending
More than 7 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 16 day(s)
 
 29673/23
16/08/2023
Gheorghe-Ciprian GHERASIM
1984
 
 
 
Bacău County Police Station; Bacău, Miercurea Ciuc, Vaslui and Bistrița Prisons
28/12/2020
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 16 day(s)
 
 29798/23
18/08/2023
Marius CORDOVAN
1972
 
 
 
Oradea, Timișoara, Satu Mare and Deva Prisons
07/05/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 6 month(s)
 
 29846/23
11/01/2024
Radu-Viorel BAIDOK
1975
 
Pîrciu Ionel‑Ciprian
Arad
Bucharest-Rahova and Arad Prisons
12/11/2020
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 16 day(s)
 
 30814/23
05/09/2023
Gheorghe BREAZU
1990
 
 
 
Arad Prison
11/05/2023
pending
More than 2 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 21 day(s)
 
 31567/23
09/08/2023
Stelea VINTILĂ
1965
 
 
 
Giurgiu Prison
07/08/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 15 day(s)
 
 32249/23
04/10/2023
Lucian-Mihai POPA
1970
 
 
 
Bucharest-Rahova and Bucharest‑Jilava Prisons
22/09/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 29 day(s)
 32412/23
21/11/2023
Ionuţ BOBU
1987
 
 
 
Suceava County Police Station; Botoșani, Poarta Albă, Arad and Bucharest-Rahova Prisons; Bucharest‑Jilava Prison Hospital
22/07/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 10 day(s)
 
 34171/23
03/01/2024
Florin-Alexandru PREDOI
1999
 
 
 
Craiova, Mioveni and Arad Prisons
13/11/2015
pending
More than 10 year(s) and 7 day(s)
 
 34954/23
22/11/2023
Vasile-Florin MORAR
1977
 
 
 
Iași and Timișoara Prisons
26/11/2020
pending
More than 4 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 23 day(s)
 
 35250/23
25/10/2023
Teodor TAMAS
1966
 
 
 
Gherla and Baia Mare Prisons
18/01/2023
pending
More than 2 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 4 day(s)
 
 36158/23
07/02/2024
Lucian Dumitru BRATU
1979
 
 
 
Teleorman County Police Station and Giurgiu Prison
22/02/2022
pending
More than 3 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 10 day(s)
 
 36656/23
09/11/2023
Laurenţiu CĂLIN
1969
 
 
 
Mărgineni and Mioveni Prisons
23/12/2019
pending
More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 14 day(s)