issued by the Registrar of the Court
ECHR 191 (2021)
17.06.2021
Judgments and decisions of 17 June 2021
The European Court of Human Rights has today notified in writing eight judgments1 and
24 decisions2:
one Chamber judgment is summarised below;
a separate press release has been issued for another Chamber judgment in the case of Miniscalco
v. Italy (application no. 55093/13);
a separate press release has also been issued for one decision in the case of Galan v. Italy
(no. 63772/16);
six Committee judgments, concerning issues which have already been submitted to the Court, and
The judgment summarised below is available only in English.
Sandor Varga and Others v. Hungary (applications nos. 39734/15, 35530/16,
and 26804/18)
The applicants are four Hungarian nationals, Sándor Varga, Á.K., I.K. and Henrik Rostás, born
between 1967 and 1987.
The cases concern the applicants’ life sentences without the possibility of release on parole.
The first applicant was sentenced for the premeditated murder for financial gain of four people and
a series of armed robberies committed in a criminal organisation. The second and third applicants’
sentences were for the premeditated murder of six people, including a four-and-a-half-year-old
child, committed with special cruelty with racist motives and in a criminal organisation, and for a
series of related crimes (armed robbery and firearms offences). The fourth applicant was sentenced
for the attempted murder of several people, for financial gain and committed with special cruelty, as
well as for several counts of robberies and assault.
The applicants complain that their sentences constitute inhuman and degrading punishment, in
breach of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment).
Violation of Article 3
Just satisfaction:
Non-pecuniary damage: the finding of a violation constitutes in itself sufficient just satisfaction for
the non-pecuniary damage sustained by the second and third applicants;
Costs and expenses: 2,000 euros (EUR) jointly to the second and third applicants.
The first and fourth applicants did not submit any claims for just satisfaction.
1
Under Articles 43 and 44 of the Convention, Chamber judgments are not final. During the three-month period following a judgment’s
delivery, any party may request that the case be referred to the Grand Chamber of the Court. If such a request is made, a panel of five
judges considers whether the case deserves further examination. In that event, the Grand Chamber will hear the case and deliver a final
judgment. If the referral request is refused, the Chamber judgment will become final on that day. Under Article 28 of the Convention,
judgments delivered by a Committee are final.
Once a judgment becomes final, it is transmitted to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for supervision of its execution.
Further information about the execution process can be found here: www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/execution.
2
Inadmissibility and strike-out decisions are final.
