FIRST SECTION
CASE OF UNIYA OOO AND BELCOURT TRADING COMPANY
v. RUSSIA
(Applications nos. 4437/03 and 13290/03)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
19 June 2014
FINAL
17/11/2014
This judgment has become final under Article 44 § 2 of the Convention. It may be
subject to editorial revision.
UNIYA OOO AND BELCOURT TRADING COMPANY v. RUSSIA JUDGMENT
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROCEDURE ................................................................................................ 5
THE FACTS .................................................................................................. 6
I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE ............................................... 6
A. The criminal case against Mr Golovkin ............................................... 6
B. The first consignment of alcohol (337,104 bottles belonging to
Belcourt and 120,317 bottles belonging to Uniya) .................................... 7
1. Seizure and destruction of the first consignment .............................. 7
(a) Seizure ......................................................................................... 7
(b) First and second expert examinations of the quality of the
alcohol ................................................................................................ 9
(c) Destruction of the alcohol ........................................................... 9
2. The “special ruling” of the Baltiyskiy District Court ..................... 10
3. Criminal investigation of the destruction of the alcohol ................. 11
4. Complaints by Uniya, Belcourt and Mr Golovkin under Article 125
of the CCrP .......................................................................................... 11
(a) Judicial review of the seizure .................................................... 11
(i) Complaints by Uniya and Mr Golovkin ................................. 11
(α) First round (Article 125 proceedings) ............................... 11
(β) Second round (Article 125 proceedings) ........................... 12
(γ) Chapter 25 proceedings ..................................................... 13
(ii) Complaints by Belcourt ........................................................ 13
(α) First round ......................................................................... 13
(β) Second round ..................................................................... 13
(b) Judicial review of the destruction .............................................. 14
5. Tort claims by Belcourt and Uniya against the State and related
proceedings .......................................................................................... 15
(a) Tort claims by Belcourt against the State concerning the seizure
and destruction of 337,104 bottles of alcohol .................................. 15
(i) Proceedings before the commercial courts............................. 15
(α) First round (tort claims related to the seizure and
destruction) .............................................................................. 15
(β) Second round (tort claims related to the destruction) ....... 16
(γ) Third round (judicial review of the decision of the Alcohol
Commission) ............................................................................ 16
(ii) Proceedings before the courts of general jurisdiction ........... 17
(α) First round ......................................................................... 17
(β) Second round ..................................................................... 18
(γ) Third round ........................................................................ 18
(b) Tort claims of Uniya against the State concerning the seizure
and destruction of 120,317 bottles of alcohol .................................. 19
2
UNIYA OOO AND BELCOURT TRADING COMPANY v. RUSSIA JUDGMENT
(i) Tort claim by Uniya in the commercial courts ....................... 19
(α) First round ....................................................................... 19
(β) Second round ................................................................... 21
(ii) Tort claim in the courts of general jurisdiction ..................... 23
(α) First, second, and third rounds of the proceedings .......... 23
(β) Fourth round .................................................................... 23
(γ) Fifth round ....................................................................... 23
(δ) Execution of the judgment of 27 January 2011 and
liquidation of Uniya ............................................................... 24
C. The second consignment of alcohol (1,170,312 bottles) .................... 25
1. First decision to seize (attachment orders) and its review .............. 26
(a) Seizure and expert examination of the second consignment ..... 26
(b) First complaint by Mr Golovkin against the seizure ................. 26
2. Second decision to seize (removal of physical evidence) and its
review ................................................................................................... 27
(a) Seizure ....................................................................................... 27
(b) Second complaint by Mr Golovkin against the seizure ............. 27
3. Attempts by Uniya to obtain the second consignment from the
warehouses or to sell it ......................................................................... 28
4. Third decision to seize (removal of physical evidence) and its
review ................................................................................................... 29
(a) Third seizure .............................................................................. 29
(b) Third complaint by Mr Golovkin .............................................. 29
(c) Complaint by Uniya under Article 125 of the CCrP about the
seizure .............................................................................................. 30
5. Destruction of the second consignment and its judicial review ...... 30
(a) Destruction................................................................................. 30
(b) Constitutional complaint by Mr Golovkin ................................ 31
(c) Complaint by Uniya under Article 125 of the CCrP about the
destruction of the alcohol ................................................................. 32
(i) First round .............................................................................. 32
(ii) Second round ......................................................................... 32
6. Tort claim brought by Belcourt against Uniya................................ 32
7. Tort claims by Uniya against the State ........................................... 33
(a) Proceedings before the commercial courts ................................ 33
(i) First round .............................................................................. 33
(ii) Second round ......................................................................... 34
(b) Proceedings before the courts of general jurisdiction ............... 35
(i) Early rounds ........................................................................... 35
(ii) Final round ............................................................................ 35
8. Tort action by Belcourt against the State ........................................ 36