Uitspraak
RECHTBANK AMSTERDAM
INTERNATIONALE RECHTSHULPKAMER
the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Latvia,Letland, (hierna: de uitvaardigende justitiële autoriteit) en strekt tot de aanhouding en overlevering van:
1.Procesgang
2.Identiteit van de opgeëiste persoon
3.Grondslag en inhoud van het EAB
1. The Riga City Pardaugava Court judgment of 29 March 2018, by which [de opgeëiste persoon] was found guilty of commission of criminal offences provided for by Section 2531(3), 253(1) of the Criminal Law and sentenced to deprivation of liberty for a period of 5 (five) years 7 (seven) months;
The Riga City Court decision of 14 December 2023 to execute the unserved part of the sentence imposed on [de opgeëiste persoon] by Riga City Pardaugava Court judgement of 29 March 2018 - deprivation of liberty for a period of 1 (one) year 7 (seven) months 10 (ten) days. The decision entered into its legal force on 21 March 2024. Reference:-11815002817.
4.Weigeringsgrond als bedoeld in artikel 12 OLW Pro
The Riga City Courtvan 14 december 2023, welke beslissing in hoger beroep is bevestigd, de voorwaardelijke invrijheidstelling is herroepen omdat de opgeëiste persoon zich niet aan de voorwaarde van elektronisch toezicht had gehouden.
5.Strafbaarheid
6.Artikel 11 OLW Pro: Letse detentieomstandigheden
, the delegation inquired about the impact of their status on their daily lives. The prisoners explained that they were not allowed to express an opinion on anything or to make any decisions. Some said that being alevyj
felt “like a second punishment” and that they were “cockroaches who had to adapt to survive”.
had to use separate sanitary facilities, eat at separate tables at the canteen, exercise in separate gyms (or use a sports field only when it was not used by the higher castes), and go to the shop last; in some prisons they were not allowed to use the kitchen in the unit, and in others, they had to use a separate cooker, a separate fridge, and a separate table. Further,levyje
said that they had to stand guard outside a dormitory unit for hours every day and inform other inmates when they saw prison staff approaching the (unstaffed) unit (the delegation witnessed this numerous times in all prisons visited).
and, of those, only the lowest category,cherti
, were cleaning the toilets. It is noteworthy that the latter were not able to have any other work (for example, in the prison manufacturing facility) due to security concerns regarding their safety. They spent most of their time locked in their cells, where they were accommodated for their own protection (at their own request or upon a decision of the administration).
were cleaning not only the corridors and other common spaces but also the rooms/cells of the higher caste prisoners (the latter sometimes “thanked” them with cigarettes, tea, or buying them some food from the prison shop).Levyje
working in the bedding laundry often also did personal laundry for the higher caste prisoners.
interviewed by the delegation said that they could refuse to do such tasks if they had enough money on their personal account, and that usually such work was done by those who had no other income (due to lack of support from outside, no work, etc.), since it was the only way to obtain tea, cigarettes, etc. However,smotriaschij
in one prison told the delegation thatlevyje
who wished to live in the dormitory-type accommodation (and thus enjoy a more open regime) did not have the right to refuse menial work assigned to them.
all forms of inhuman or degrading treatment and obliges state authorities to take appropriate measures to prevent such treatment, including that carried out by private individuals, such as fellow prisoners.
(application no. 76680/17) of 11 January 2024, where the Court has found that “life in such a hostile environment often resulted in a continuous accumulation of stress, particularly for individuals subjected to inequity, and not solely from immediate or chronic threats. The mere anticipation of such threats could also cause enduring mental harm and anxiety of an intensity exceeding the level of stress caused by detention under normal conditions. The absence of any direct State involvement in acts of illtreatment that met the condition of severity such as to engage Article 3 did not absolve the State from its obligations under this provision. In particular, the national authorities had an obligation to take measures to ensure that individuals within their jurisdiction were not subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including such ill-treatment administered by private individuals.” The Court accordingly found that the Latvian authorities had not taken adequate steps to protect the applicant from the treatment associated with his belonging to the lowest caste.
The Department of Imprisonment Institutions) hebben bij brief van 21 januari 2026 onder meer het volgende geantwoord op de door het Internationaal Rechtshulp Centrum (IRC) gestelde vragen:
The Department of Imprisonment Institutionsbij brief van 19 februari 2026 nog onder meer het volgende geantwoord:
levyje)gebruik dienen te maken van aparte sanitaire faciliteiten, aan aparte tafels in de kantine dienen te eten, in aparte zalen moeten sporten, of op andere tijdstippen dan de hogere kasten, en pas als laatste naar de winkel mogen gaan. Verder worden
levyjeingezet om urenlang de wacht te houden bij een slaapzaal om medegedetineerden te waarschuwen voor aanlopend gevangenispersoneel, dat de
levyjeslechts het onderhouds- en schoonmaakwerk kunnen doen en worden uitgesloten van andersoortig werk, en dat de
levyjeook worden geacht de cellen van gedetineerden uit de hoge kaste schoon te maken en voor hen de was te doen. Dit maakt dat sommige
levyjezich voelden als “kakkerlakken die zich moesten aanpassen om te overleven”. De rechtbank beschikt over onvoldoende informatie om vast te kunnen stellen dat ook deze nadelige aspecten van het kastenstelsel voor de opgeëiste persoon zijn weggenomen.
7.Beslissing
SCHORSThet onderzoek en bepaalt dat de zaak opnieuw moet worden ingepland op een zitting op
15 april 2026of uiterlijk tien dagen daarna, dus tussen 15 april 2026 en 23 april 2026.