CASE OF PETROVIC v. SLOVENIA
Violation of Article 3 - Prohibition of torture (Article 3 - Degrading treatment;Inhuman treatment) (Substantive aspect);Violation of Article 13 - Right to an effective remedy (Article 13 - Effective remedy)
Angelika Nußberger;Vincent A. De Gaetano
5. The applicant was born in 1969 and lives in Trlić. 6. The applicant served his prison sentence in the closed and semi-open sections of Ljubljana prison. 7. In the period from 25 August 2009 to 22 September 2009 and from 4 November 2009 to 12 November 2009 he was held in the closed section: for two days in cell 4, measuring 18.75 square metres (not including a separate 2.44 square metre sanitary facility) shared with two to four other inmates and with 3.26 to 5.4 square metres of personal space and for thirtysix days in cell 2 measuring 16.18 square metres (not including a separate 1.7 square metre sanitary facility) shared with two to four other inmates and with 2.9 to 4.8 square metres of personal space. 8. In the period between 23 September 2009 and 3 November 2009 he was held in the semi-open section for forty-two days in cell 137, measuring 17.94 square metres (not including a separate 1.75 square metre sanitary facility) shared with two to four other inmates and with 3.2 to 5.4 square metres of personal space. 9. As regards the general characteristics of the cells in the closed and semi-open sections, material conditions inside the cells, sanitary conditions and health care, see the judgment in Štrucl and Others v. Slovenia, nos. 5903/10, 6003/10 and 6544/10, §§ 21 to 32, 20 October 2011. 10. As to the out-of-cell time in the closed section, the Court found in the aforementioned judgment that sentenced prisoners in the closed section of the prison were locked up in their cells and were only able to leave them if they applied for certain activities, most of which were to take place in the recreation room. There was, however, only one 50square-metre recreation room per floor, which was to be used by ten inmates at most (Štrucl and Others § 86). 11. As to the out-of-cell time in the semi-open section, the Government submitted that the cell doors in the semi-open section of the prison were unlocked, except from 9.45 p.m. (on Fridays, Saturdays and before holidays from midnight) until 6.00 a.m. (on Saturdays, Sundays and during holidays until 8.30 a.m.). During this time prisoners could move freely in the corridor (35.7 square metres), living quarters of co-prisoners or in the indoor or outdoor exercise areas, in accordance with prison rules. The Government contended that this regime had been in place for several years. 12. As regards the cell temperature, the data provided by the Government showed that the average temperature in the cells in the late afternoon (5-5.30 p.m.) in the second half of July and August 2009 had been approximately 28oC, exceeding 30oC on seven days.