PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 42643/98) against the Republic of Poland lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights (“the Commission”) under former Article 25 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a Polish national, Mr Krzysztof Paszkowski (“the applicant”), on 11 September 1997.

The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agents, Mr K. Drzewicki and Mr J. Wołąsiewicz of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The applicant alleged that that his pre-trial detention had been inordinately lengthy.

The application was transmitted to the Court on 1 November 1998, when Protocol No. 11 to the Convention came into force (Article 5 § 2 of Protocol No. 11).

The application was allocated to the Third Section of the Court (Rule 52 § 1 of the Rules of Court). Within that Section, the Chamber that would consider the case (Article 27 § 1 of the Convention) was constituted as provided in Rule 26 § 1.

On 1 November 2001 the Court changed the composition of its Sections (Rule 25 § 1). This case was assigned to the newly composed Third Section (Rule 52 § 1).

By a decision of 8 January 2004 the Court declared the application admissible.

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1966 and lives in Gdańsk, Poland.

On 24 August 1994 the applicant was arrested on suspicion of extorting protection money from an escort agency. Subsequently, eleven other persons were charged and remanded in custody in connection with the investigation against the applicant.

In the course of the investigation the applicant’s detention was several times prolonged by the Gdańsk Regional Prosecutor (Prokurator Wojewódzki) and the Gdańsk Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki). The prosecution authorities also obtained two expert reports concerning the applicant’s mental health.

On 27 June 1995 the Gdańsk Regional Prosecutor (Prokurator Wojewódzki) lodged a bill of indictment with the Gdańsk Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki). The applicant was indicted together with eleven other persons on charges of robbery and extortion. The prosecution asked the court to hear evidence from 106 witnesses.

On 26 July 1995 the applicant lodged an application for release. He submitted that his wife had been placed in a mental hospital and that their daughter had been left without care. On 18 August 1995 the Gdańsk Regional Court upheld the detention order. The court held that, given the number of suspects involved in the case and the serious nature of the offence in question, keeping the applicant in custody was necessary to ensure that the process of obtaining evidence followed its proper course. On 6 September 1995 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny) dismissed the applicant’s further appeal.

On 30 April 1996 the applicant made an application for release. It was rejected by the Gdańsk Regional Court on 14 May 1996. The court held that keeping the applicant in custody had been necessary to ensure the proper conduct of the proceedings. On 12 June 1996, on an appeal by the applicant, the Gdańsk Court of Appeal upheld this decision. The court found that the applicant’s family situation did not militate against his continuing detention and that there were no grounds on which to release the applicant, as defined in Article 218 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Furthermore, it also underlined the gravity of charges brought against the applicant.

On 4 December 1996 the applicant made yet another application for release. It was rejected by the Gdańsk Regional Court on 10 December 1996 as the applicant failed to submit any new arguments which would justify his release.

On 30 December 1996 the Gdańsk Regional Court asked the Supreme Court (Sąd Najwyższy) to prolong the applicant’s detention. On 16 January 1997 the Supreme Court granted the application and prolonged his and eight other co-accused’ detention until 30 June 1997.

On 6 June 1997 the applicant made yet another unsuccessful application for release from detention.

On 26 June 1997 the Gdańsk Regional Court lodged a request under Article 222 § 4 of the Code of Criminal Procedure with the Supreme Court, asking it to prolong the applicant’s detention for a further period of six months. On 13 August 1997 the Supreme Court extended the applicant’s detention until 1 December 1997, considering that it was necessary to ensure the proper conduct of the proceedings. The court stressed that the case was particularly complex as it concerned several co-accused. Furthermore, it observed that the trial court still had to hear evidence from 50 witnesses.

On 26 September 1996 the composition of the trial court had to be changed due to the presiding judge’s illness.

Between October and December 1997 the trial court on four occasions allowed the applicant’s family to visit him in prison.

On 25 November 1997 the Gdańsk Regional Court again asked the Supreme Court to prolong the applicant’s detention. On 19 December 1997 the Supreme Court decided to extend the applicant’s detention until 30 April 1998. It considered that even though the proceedings had been lengthy, the trial court could not be held responsible for the delay. The composition of the trial court had to be changed due to the presiding judge’s illness. Moreover, some of the accused contributed to the length of the proceedings by lodging numerous motions with the court. The Supreme Court also referred to the complexity of the case, the fact that it involved several accused and the large number of witnesses.

In January, February, March 1998 the applicant’s family was allowed, on five occasions, to visit him in prison.

On 30 April 1998 the Gdańsk Regional Court released the applicant under police supervision. The court held that the detention had already been prolonged three times by the Supreme Court but to no avail, as the proceedings had still not been terminated. In the court’s opinion, any prolongation of his further detention on remand would be tantamount to serving a prison sentence.

Before 30 April 1998 the trial court listed 31 hearings, of which 17 were cancelled or adjourned.

On 22 October 2002 the Regional Court gave judgment. It sentenced the applicant to four years’ imprisonment.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-67274_a4_e1
001-67274_a4_em1
CODE
DIRECT
42643/98
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-67274_a4_e2
001-67274_a4_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Poland
ETHNIC
insert
001-67274_a4_e3
001-67274_a4_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Polish national
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001-67274_a4_e4
001-67274_a4_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Krzysztof Paszkowski
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001-67274_a4_em5
DATETIME
QUASI
11 September 1997
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001-67274_a4_e6
001-67274_a4_em6
ORG
NO_MASK
Polish Government
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001-67274_a4_e7
001-67274_a4_em7
PERSON
NO_MASK
Mr K. Drzewicki
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check
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001-67274_a4_em8
PERSON
NO_MASK
Mr J. Wołąsiewicz
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insert
001-67274_a4_e9
001-67274_a4_em9
ORG
NO_MASK
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-67274_a4_e10
001-67274_a4_em10
DATETIME
NO_MASK
1 November 1998
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-67274_a4_e11
001-67274_a4_em11
DATETIME
NO_MASK
1 November 2001
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001-67274_a4_e12
001-67274_a4_em12
DATETIME
QUASI
8 January 2004
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001-67274_a4_e13
001-67274_a4_em13
DATETIME
QUASI
1966
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001-67274_a4_e14
001-67274_a4_em14
LOC
QUASI
Gdańsk, Poland
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001-67274_a4_e15
001-67274_a4_em15
DATETIME
QUASI
24 August 1994
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insert
001-67274_a4_e16
001-67274_a4_em16
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Prosecutor (Prokurator Wojewódzki)
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001-67274_a4_e17
001-67274_a4_em17
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki)
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001-67274_a4_e18
001-67274_a4_em18
DATETIME
QUASI
27 June 1995
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001-67274_a4_e16
001-67274_a4_em19
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Prosecutor (Prokurator Wojewódzki)
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001-67274_a4_e17
001-67274_a4_em20
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki)
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001-67274_a4_e19
001-67274_a4_em21
QUANTITY
QUASI
106
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001-67274_a4_e20
001-67274_a4_em22
DATETIME
QUASI
26 July 1995
HEALTH
insert
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MISC
QUASI
his wife had been placed in a mental hospital
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001-67274_a4_em24
MISC
QUASI
their daughter had been left without care
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001-67274_a4_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
18 August 1995
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001-67274_a4_em26
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
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001-67274_a4_e25
001-67274_a4_em27
DATETIME
QUASI
6 September 1995
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001-67274_a4_em28
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Court of Appeal (Sąd Apelacyjny)
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001-67274_a4_e27
001-67274_a4_em29
DATETIME
QUASI
30 April 1996
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001-67274_a4_em30
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
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001-67274_a4_e28
001-67274_a4_em31
DATETIME
QUASI
14 May 1996
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001-67274_a4_e29
001-67274_a4_em32
DATETIME
QUASI
12 June 1996
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insert
001-67274_a4_e30
001-67274_a4_em33
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Court of Appeal
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insert
001-67274_a4_e31
001-67274_a4_em34
MISC
NO_MASK
Article 218 of the Code of Criminal Procedure
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001-67274_a4_e32
001-67274_a4_em35
DATETIME
QUASI
4 December 1996
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001-67274_a4_em36
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-67274_a4_e33
001-67274_a4_em37
DATETIME
QUASI
10 December 1996
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001-67274_a4_e34
001-67274_a4_em38
DATETIME
QUASI
30 December 1996
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001-67274_a4_e24
001-67274_a4_em39
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-67274_a4_e35
001-67274_a4_em40
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Court (Sąd Najwyższy)
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001-67274_a4_e36
001-67274_a4_em41
DATETIME
QUASI
16 January 1997
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-67274_a4_e35
001-67274_a4_em42
ORG
NO_MASK
001-67274_a4_em40
Supreme Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
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001-67274_a4_e37
001-67274_a4_em43
DATETIME
QUASI
30 June 1997
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001-67274_a4_e38
001-67274_a4_em44
DATETIME
QUASI
6 June 1997
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001-67274_a4_e39
001-67274_a4_em45
DATETIME
QUASI
26 June 1997
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001-67274_a4_em46
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-67274_a4_e40
001-67274_a4_em47
MISC
NO_MASK
Article 222 § 4 of the Code of Criminal Procedure
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001-67274_a4_e35
001-67274_a4_em48
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Court
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001-67274_a4_e41
001-67274_a4_em49
DATETIME
NO_MASK
six months
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001-67274_a4_e42
001-67274_a4_em50
DATETIME
QUASI
13 August 1997
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001-67274_a4_e35
001-67274_a4_em51
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Court
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001-67274_a4_e43
001-67274_a4_em52
DATETIME
QUASI
1 December 1997
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001-67274_a4_e44
001-67274_a4_em53
QUANTITY
NO_MASK
50
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001-67274_a4_e45
001-67274_a4_em54
DATETIME
QUASI
26 September 1996
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001-67274_a4_e46
001-67274_a4_em55
DATETIME
NO_MASK
Between October and December 1997
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001-67274_a4_e47
001-67274_a4_em56
DATETIME
QUASI
25 November 1997
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001-67274_a4_e24
001-67274_a4_em57
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
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001-67274_a4_em58
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Court
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001-67274_a4_e48
001-67274_a4_em59
DATETIME
QUASI
19 December 1997
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001-67274_a4_e35
001-67274_a4_em60
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Court
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001-67274_a4_e49
001-67274_a4_em61
DATETIME
QUASI
30 April 1998
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001-67274_a4_e35
001-67274_a4_em62
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Court
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001-67274_a4_e50
001-67274_a4_em63
DATETIME
NO_MASK
January, February, March 1998
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001-67274_a4_em64
DATETIME
QUASI
30 April 1998
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001-67274_a4_e24
001-67274_a4_em65
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
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001-67274_a4_e35
001-67274_a4_em66
ORG
NO_MASK
Supreme Court
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001-67274_a4_e49
001-67274_a4_em67
DATETIME
QUASI
30 April 1998
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001-67274_a4_e51
001-67274_a4_em68
DATETIME
QUASI
22 October 2002
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001-67274_a4_e52
001-67274_a4_em69
ORG
NO_MASK
Regional Court
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001-67274_a4_e53
001-67274_a4_em70
DATETIME
QUASI
four years
Krzysztof Paszkowski
POL
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Krzysztof Paszkowski