The Romanian state paid in 2017 compensations worth more than RON 13 million (some EUR 2.86 million) to the Romanians who won cases at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), local Economica.net reported.

However, the total amounts paid by the Romanian Ministry of Finance to Romanians who have won cases at the ECHR dropped last year when compared to the previous years. For example, in 2015 the state paid RON 34.8 million some EUR 7.7 million) and in 2016 RON 16.66 million (some EUR 3.66 million), according to data from the ministry.

The ECHR granted total damages worth over EUR 1.52 million through the 69 judgments ruled against Romania last year. The amount actually paid by the Ministry of Finance in 2017 does not coincide with the value of the damages granted by the ECHR in the cases against Romania for several reasons, including the period of three months the government has to make the payments.

“During the year 2017, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a total of 69 judgments in cases directed against Romania. In 54 of these judgments, the Court found that there had been a violation of at least one right protected by the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, granting total damages of EUR 1,526,789.19,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials told local Economica.net.

The highest compensation paid by the Ministry of Finance in 2017 amounted to EUR 15,000.

ECHR president Guido Raimondi said in late January that Romania is first by the number of pending cases against it at the European Court of Human Rights, with about 9,900 complaints, which represent 17.6% of the court’s case load at the end of last year. Most of the cases are about the poor detention conditions in Romania’s prisons, he explained.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com