KOLCZA AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA

  FOURTH SECTION DECISION Application no. 3774/24 László KOLCZA 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, 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 other 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    3774/24 22/01/2024 László KOLCZA 1957       Găești, Codlea, Târgu Mureș, Miercurea Ciuc, Mărgineni, Arad and Aiud Prisons; Mioveni, Dej and Bucharest-Jilava Prison Hospitals 30/09/2009 pending More than 16 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 28 day(s)    17851/24 13/06/2024 Marius Ștefan POPESCU 1963   Oancea Elena Craiova Craiova Prison 09/02/2024 pending More than 7 month(s) and 17 day(s)    1653/25 24/12/2024 Ştefan SCARLAT 1983       Galați, Giurgiu and Brăila Prisons 26/08/2022 pending More than 3 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 25 day(s)    4142/25 30/01/2025 Róbert LÖRINCZ 1979       Gherla, Miercurea Ciuc and Deva Prisons 24/12/2019 pending More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 22 day(s)    4299/25 08/02/2025 Marian CANDOI 1975       Giurgiu Prison 01/10/2020 pending More than 5 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 5 day(s)    4730/25 31/01/2025 Marius-Augustin LĂCĂTUŞ 1990       Bistrița-Năsăud County Police Station, and Gherla, Aiud, Iași and Bucharest-Rahova Prisons 01/01/2009 pending More than 16 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 14 day(s)    5348/25 05/02/2025 Jozsef-Zsolt DOMBI 1987       Gherla Prison 17/12/2023 pending More than 1 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 21 day(s)    5551/25 11/02/2025 Alexandru STROE 1967       Mioveni Prison 01/01/2020 pending More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 20 day(s)    5616/25 13/02/2025 Virgil-Constantin FIRAN 1980       Craiova Prison 20/01/2025 pending More than 9 month(s) and 24 day(s)  6143/25 17/02/2025 István KOOS 1985       Miercurea Ciuc and Deva Prisons 24/12/2019 pending More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 22 day(s)  7198/25 14/02/2025 Florian ILIE 1965       Bucharest-Rahova and Bucharest-Jilava Prisons 13/06/2024 pending More than 1 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 1 day(s)  7892/25 03/03/2025 Cristian-Marian IORGA 1985       Vaslui, Bacău, Focșani and Tulcea Prisons 07/04/2021 pending More than 4 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 7 day(s)  8220/25 06/03/2025 Ghiorghe ROMAN 1957       Giurgiu, Bucharest-Jilava and Găești Prisons 03/03/2021 pending More than 4 year(s) and 8 month(s) and 17 day(s)  8584/25 10/03/2025 Benone RÎPĂ 1990       Botoșani, Iași and Giurgiu Prisons 10/04/2017 pending More than 8 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 10 day(s)  8600/25 05/03/2025 Luca-Mihai LĂCĂTUŞ 1977       Bucharest-Rahova and Gherla Prisons 15/11/2023 pending More than 2 year(s)  8763/25 07/03/2025 Marian VASILE 1973       Constanța-Poarta Albă, Tulcea, Slobozia and Brăila Prisons; Constanța-Poarta Albă and Dej Prison Hospitals 14/10/2021 pending More than 4 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 8 day(s)  8916/25 04/03/2025 Silviu-Mihail LOGHIN 1969       Botoșani Prison 22/07/2024 pending More than 8 month(s) and 3 day(s)  8931/25 10/03/2025 Eugen-Sorin BADARICĂ 1990       Galați Prison 22/10/2020 pending More than 5 year(s) and 6 day(s)  9274/25 18/03/2025 Ionuţ-Alexandru DRAGOMIR 1990       Brăila and Galați Prisons 17/03/2025 pending More than 7 month(s) and 25 day(s)  9299/25 11/03/2025 Ionuţ Mădălin PETRE 1992       Mărgineni, Ploiești, Giurgiu and Aiud Prisons 01/01/2020 pending More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 18 day(s)    9569/25 06/03/2025 Cristian-Mihai GHERMAN 1984       Găești, Bucharest-Rahova and Giurgiu Prisons 22/09/2022 pending More than 3 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 22 day(s)  10124/25 13/03/2025 Pavel MICAN 1957       Gherla and Bistrița Prisons 19/06/2024 pending More than 1 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 27 day(s)  10641/25 26/03/2025 Adrian MIA 1998       Galați Prison 01/04/2021 pending More than 4 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 14 day(s)  11166/25 02/04/2025 Petrică SCARLAT 1978       Craiova and Craiova-Pelendava Prisons 29/10/2024 pending More than 1 year(s) and 22 day(s)  11230/25 03/04/2025 Silviu-Gabriel BĂLĂŞOIU 1980       Mioveni and Găești Prisons 13/03/2023 pending More than 2 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 16 day(s)  11292/25 04/04/2025 Constantin MIHAI 1987       Botoșani Prison 25/01/2024 pending More than 1 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 21 day(s)  12063/25 08/04/2025 Cosmin Ştefan BĂLTĂREŢU 1998       Bucharest-Rahova and Giurgiu Prisons 21/03/2023 pending More than 2 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 8 day(s)  12485/25 08/04/2025 Marian-Ionuţ AMARIEI 1989       Slobozia Prison and Constanța-Poarta Albă Prison Hospital 27/05/2022 pending More than 3 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 27 day(s)    12511/25 09/04/2025 Aurel-Ioan STOICA 1986       Aiud and Deva Prisons 01/01/2019 pending More than 6 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 20 day(s)  13126/25 17/04/2025 Vasile BEJENARIU 1977       Gherla Prison 17/04/2025 pending More than 21 day(s)  14343/25 23/04/2025 Francisc BUDAI 1986       Satu Mare, Gherla, Aiud and Timișoara Prisons 23/12/2019 pending More than 5 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 21 day(s)  14345/25 30/04/2025 Aurel BUŞILĂ 1982       Botoșani, Bacău and Tulcea Prisons 10/10/2023 pending More than 2 year(s) and 26 day(s)  14348/25 29/04/2025 Viorel NICODIM-BELCIU 1986       Giurgiu, Bucharest-Rahova and Bucharest-Jilava Prisons 02/08/2018 pending More than 7 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 17 day(s)  14750/25 05/05/2025 Costel-Sorin BURCICĂ 1992       Vaslui and Drobeta-Turnu Severin Prisons 28/05/2024 pending More than 1 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 7 day(s)  14948/25 06/05/2025 Nicuşor-Marius STĂNCULESCU 1988       Giurgiu Prison and Bucharest-Jilava Prison Hospital 20/12/2019 pending More than 5 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 1 day(s)  14975/25 05/05/2025 Ioan CĂLUGĂR 1973       Arad, Târgu Mureș and Aiud Prisons 19/01/2024 pending More than 1 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 18 day(s)  15177/25 12/05/2025 Nicolae Daniel BĂDESCU 1967       Craiova Prison 31/05/2022 pending More than 3 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 28 day(s)  15282/25 09/05/2025 Luigi NECULA 1976       Bucharest-Jilava, Constanța-Poarta Albă, Mioveni and Târgu Ocna Prison Hospitals; Focșani, Giurgiu, Galați, Bucharest-Rahova, Slobozia and Iași Prisons 08/08/2012 pending More than 13 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 14 day(s)  15522/25 14/05/2025 Georgel CĂLIN 1985   Peter Irina-Maria Bucharest Giurgiu and Bucharest-Jilava Prisons 11/11/2020 pending More than 4 year(s) and 11 month(s) and 25 day(s)  16905/25 27/05/2025 Anton-Gabriel CORUŢIU 1992       Arad and Deva Prisons 12/04/2022 pending More than 3 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 26 day(s)  17640/25 03/06/2025 Traian DUMITRU 1982       Bucharest-Rahova, Slobozia, Bucharest-Jilava and Constanța-Poarta Albă Prisons 27/01/2024 pending More than 1 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 15 day(s)  18114/25 05/06/2025 Adrian-Ionuț BĂRĂGAN 1996       Bucharest-Jilava, Bucharest-Rahova and Craiova-Pelendava Prisons 20/09/2023 pending More than 2 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 9 day(s)  18485/25 12/06/2025 Marius-Gabriel PROCA 1991       Iași and Tulcea Prisons 16/10/2023 pending More than 2 year(s) and 1 month(s) and 4 day(s)  18893/25 16/06/2025 Ionuţ-Iulian ISTOC 1986       Vaslui, Bucharest-Jilava, Găești, Brăila and Bacău Prisons; Târgu Ocna Prison Hospital 12/06/2024 pending More than 1 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 10 day(s)  19998/25 23/06/2025 Ioan-Iosif POP 1984       Oradea Prison 31/10/2018 pending More than 7 year(s) and 19 day(s)  20730/25 02/07/2025 Constantin ALBEI 1986       Găești and Bucharest-Jilava Prisons, and Constanța-Poarta Albă Prison Hospital 15/11/2024 pending More than 11 month(s) and 9 day(s)  21876/25 07/07/2025 Lorand-Egon BABENSCHI 1986       Codlea, Miercurea Ciuc, Aiud and Găești Prisons 03/05/2018 pending More than 7 year(s) and 5 month(s) and 25 day(s)  23657/25 24/07/2025 Adrian Florinel SULTĂNOIU 1991       Teleorman County Police Station; Giurgiu, Bucharest-Jilava, Ploiești and Târgu Jiu Prisons; Bucharest-Jilava Prison Hospital 18/05/2016 pending More than 9 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 3 day(s)  23868/25 25/07/2025 Ionel BULACU 1969       Dolj County Police Station; Craiova and Craiova-Pelendava Prisons 18/08/2017 pending More than 8 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 17 day(s)  23874/25 25/07/2025 Lorenzo-Costel RĂŢOI 2000       Giurgiu Prison 11/12/2024 pending More than 11 month(s) and 9 day(s)  26554/25 19/08/2025 Rafael Ion ANGHEL 1978       Mioveni Prison 27/05/2025 pending More than 4 month(s) and 28 day(s)  27354/25 22/08/2025 Nani-Claudiu COLOJI 1996       Bistrița Prison 05/06/2025 pending More than 5 month(s) and 2 day(s)  27575/25 01/09/2025 Ilie-Liviu TICAN 1991       Codlea, Miercurea Ciuc and Aiud Prisons 02/05/2019 pending More than 6 year(s) and 6 month(s) and 20 day(s)  30165/25 16/09/2025 Iustin Valeriu HERGHELEGIU 1976       Botoșani and Iași Prisons; Târgu Ocna Prison Hospital 17/01/2024 pending More than 1 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 2 day(s)  30349/25 24/09/2025 Mircea CIUPITU 1967       Bucharest-Jilava and Slobozia Prisons 10/01/2024 pending More than 1 year(s) and 9 month(s) and 28 day(s)  30431/25 19/09/2025 Vasile ARAMĂ 1975       Botoșani and Găești Prisons 07/06/2019 pending More than 6 year(s) and 4 month(s)  30909/25 27/09/2025 Bogdan-Alexandru BENEA 1989       Giurgiu and Bucharest-Jilava Prisons 12/07/2021 pending More than 4 year(s) and 3 month(s) and 19 day(s)  30942/25 29/09/2025 Radu ACHIREI 1968       Arad Prison 29/07/2019 pending More than 6 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 24 day(s)  31188/25 29/09/2025 Niculae BUNEA 1964       Bucharest-Rahova and Giurgiu Prisons 18/03/2025 pending More than 7 month(s) and 17 day(s)  32313/25 06/10/2025 Marian CHELAN 1980       Craiova Prison 19/12/2019 pending More than 5 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 19 day(s)