CASE OF ŠTRUKELJ 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)
Ann Power-Forde;Helena Jäderblom
5. The applicant was born in 1964 and lives in Ljubljana. 6. The applicant served his prison sentence in the closed section of Ljubljana prison in the period between 30 March 2009 and 23 December 2009. From 30 March 2009 to 14 April 2009 he was held in cell 5 (third floor), which measured 18 square metres (including a separate 1.72 square metre sanitary facility) and contained 5 sleeping places. From 14 April 2009 to 11 June 2009 he was held in cell 7 (third floor), which measured 16.8 square metres (including a separate 1.72 square metre sanitary facility) and contained 5 sleeping places. From 11 June 2009 to 2 July 2009 and from 30 July 2009 to 19 December 2009 he was held in cell 124 (second floor), which measured 8.8 square metres (including a separate 1.3 square metre sanitary facility) and contained two sleeping places. From 2 July 2009 to 30 July 2009 he was held in cell 120 (second floor), which measured 18 square metres (including a separate 1.72 square metre sanitary facility) and contained 6 sleeping places. From 19 December 2009 to 23 December 2009 he was held in cell 98 (first floor), which measured 8.8 square metres (including a separate 1.3 square metre sanitary facility) and contained two sleeping places. The Government submitted that in cells 5 and 7 the numbers varied between four and five, in cell 120 the numbers varied between five and six and in cells 98 and 124 the applicant was held with one other prisoner. 7. As regards the general characteristics of the cells, 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. 8. 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). 9. During his imprisonment the applicant had thirty-three consultations with a general practitioner and declined some of them. He also had five dental appointments and five treatments by a psychiatrist. He asked for and was given a psychological consultation, however he did not attend it. 10. 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.