PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 29940/06) against the Republic of Poland lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a Hungarian national, Mr Richard Woźniak (“the applicant”), on 6 July 2006.

The applicant was represented by Mr J. Danisewicz, a lawyer practising in Gdańsk. The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr J. Wołąsiewicz of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The applicant alleged that his detention on remand exceeded a “reasonable time” within the meaning of Article 5 § 3 of the Convention.

On 18 January 2007 the President of the Fourth Section decided to give notice of the application to the Government. It was also decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility (Article 29 § 3).

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1968 and lives in Gdańsk.

On 20 July 2001 the applicant was remanded in custody by the Gdańsk Regional Court on suspicion of murder. The court held that there had been a risk that the applicant might obstruct the proceedings or abscond, given the severity of the penalty he faced.

Later, several other persons were detained and charged in connection with the same investigation conducted by the Gdańsk District Prosecutor’s Office. The charges against the applicant were also extended.

The applicant’s detention was subsequently prolonged on the following dates: 11 October 2001, 10 January, 18 April, 17 September 2002, 28 January, 2 July, 1 October, 30 December 2003, 3 February, 21 April, 7 December 2004, 24 February, 9 June 2005, 29 May and 21 September 2006. The courts relied mainly on the reasonable suspicion that the applicant had committed the offences in question and on the gravity of the charges. The courts considered that the applicant had been charged with the commission of crimes for which he was liable to a sentence of imprisonment exceeding 8 years, and that the circumstances of the case indicated that there was a reasonable risk that he might obstruct the proceedings. Regard was also had to the number of suspects and the need to obtain further evidence.

During the investigation and the trial the applicant filed several unsuccessful applications for release and appealed, likewise unsuccessfully, against the decisions prolonging his detention.

From 20 March 2002 until 9 May 2002 and from 17 February 2003 until 18 March 2003 the applicant served prison sentences imposed in other sets of criminal proceedings against him.

On 14 June 2004 the Gdańsk Regional Court delivered a judgment in the case. The applicant appealed.

On 24 February 2005 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal partly quashed the first-instance judgment in respect of the applicant, sentenced him to 6-years’ imprisonment in respect of some of the charges, and remitted the remainder of the case for retrial.

Between 2005 and 2007 the Gdańsk Regional Court held fourteen hearings in the case.

The applicant was released on 14 May 2007. The Gdańsk Regional Court found that the necessary pieces of evidence had been obtained and the case was at its final stage, so there was no need to prolong the applicant’s detention.

The proceedings are pending.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e1
001-93333_a1_em1
CODE
DIRECT
29940/06
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e2
001-93333_a1_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Poland
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e3
001-93333_a1_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Hungarian
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e4
001-93333_a1_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Richard Woźniak
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e5
001-93333_a1_em5
DATETIME
QUASI
6 July 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e6
001-93333_a1_em6
PERSON
QUASI
Mr J. Danisewicz
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-93333_a1_e7
001-93333_a1_em7
LOC
NO_MASK
Gdańsk
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-93333_a1_e8
001-93333_a1_em8
ORG
NO_MASK
Polish Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e9
001-93333_a1_em9
PERSON
QUASI
Mr J. Wołąsiewicz
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e10
001-93333_a1_em10
DATETIME
QUASI
18 January 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e11
001-93333_a1_em11
DATETIME
QUASI
1968
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e7
001-93333_a1_em12
LOC
NO_MASK
Gdańsk
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e12
001-93333_a1_em13
DATETIME
QUASI
20 July 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e13
001-93333_a1_em14
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e14
001-93333_a1_em15
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk District Prosecutor’s Office
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e15
001-93333_a1_em16
DATETIME
QUASI
11 October 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-93333_a1_e16
001-93333_a1_em17
DATETIME
QUASI
10 January
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-93333_a1_e17
001-93333_a1_em18
DATETIME
QUASI
18 April
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-93333_a1_e18
001-93333_a1_em19
DATETIME
QUASI
17 September 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e19
001-93333_a1_em20
DATETIME
QUASI
28 January
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e20
001-93333_a1_em21
DATETIME
QUASI
2 July
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e21
001-93333_a1_em22
DATETIME
QUASI
1 October
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e22
001-93333_a1_em23
DATETIME
QUASI
30 December 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e23
001-93333_a1_em24
DATETIME
QUASI
3 February
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e24
001-93333_a1_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
21 April
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-93333_a1_e25
001-93333_a1_em26
DATETIME
QUASI
7 December 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e26
001-93333_a1_em27
DATETIME
QUASI
24 February
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e27
001-93333_a1_em28
DATETIME
QUASI
9 June 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e28
001-93333_a1_em29
DATETIME
QUASI
29 May
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e29
001-93333_a1_em30
DATETIME
QUASI
21 September 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e30
001-93333_a1_em31
DATETIME
QUASI
8 years
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e31
001-93333_a1_em32
DATETIME
QUASI
20 March 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e32
001-93333_a1_em33
DATETIME
QUASI
9 May 2002
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e33
001-93333_a1_em34
DATETIME
QUASI
17 February 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e34
001-93333_a1_em35
DATETIME
QUASI
18 March 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e35
001-93333_a1_em36
DATETIME
QUASI
14 June 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e13
001-93333_a1_em37
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e36
001-93333_a1_em38
DATETIME
QUASI
24 February 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e37
001-93333_a1_em39
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Court of Appeal
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-93333_a1_e38
001-93333_a1_em40
DATETIME
QUASI
6-years
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e39
001-93333_a1_em41
DATETIME
QUASI
Between 2005 and 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e13
001-93333_a1_em42
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-93333_a1_e40
001-93333_a1_em43
QUANTITY
NO_MASK
fourteen hearings
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e41
001-93333_a1_em44
DATETIME
QUASI
14 May 2007
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-93333_a1_e13
001-93333_a1_em45
ORG
NO_MASK
Gdańsk Regional Court
Richard Woźniak
POL
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Richard Woźniak