UNIYA OOO AND BELCOURT TRADING COMPANY v. RUSSIA JUDGMENT
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D. Seizure of 37,184 bottles of alcohol and compensation proceedings 37
E. Other court proceedings related to the seizure of the alcohol ............ 39
F. Information on the status of the applicant companies. ....................... 40
II. RELEVANT DOMESTIC LAW AND PRACTICE ............................. 40
1. Criminal responsibility for the offences imputed to Mr Golovkin . 40
2. Alcohol market regulations ............................................................. 41
3. Physical evidence (exhibits)............................................................ 42
(a) Under the old CCrP ................................................................... 42
(b) Under the new CCrP.................................................................. 43
4. Attachment of property within criminal proceedings ..................... 44
5. “Complaints” against unlawful administrative acts and “tort claims”
against the State ................................................................................... 45
6. Judicial review of the investigator’s orders under the CCrP .......... 46
(a) Under the old CCrP ................................................................... 46
(b) Under the new CCrP (complaints under Article 125) ............... 46
(c) Special rulings ........................................................................... 46
7. Right to compensation for unlawful criminal prosecution.............. 47
8. Rules on tort liability of the State ................................................... 47
THE LAW .................................................................................................... 48
I. PRELIMINARY ISSUES ........................................................................ 48
A. The Government’s request for the case to be discontinued ............... 48
B. Withdrawal by the first applicant company of a part of its complaints;
a complaint by the second applicant company about the same facts ....... 50
II. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 1 OF PROTOCOL No. 1 ON
ACCOUNT OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ALCOHOL .................... 51
A. Destruction of the first consignment .................................................. 52
1. The Government’s objection as to the loss of victim status by the
applicant companies ............................................................................. 52
(a) The Government’s submissions................................................. 52
(b) The applicant companies’ submissions ..................................... 52
2. The Court’s assessment ................................................................... 53
(a) The victim status of the second applicant company .................. 53
(b) The victim status of the first applicant company ...................... 54
B. Destruction of the second consignment ............................................. 55
1. The Government’s non-exhaustion plea and the Court’s assessment
thereof .................................................................................................. 55
2. The parties’ submissions on the merits ........................................... 55
(a) The applicant companies ........................................................... 55
(b) The Government ........................................................................ 56
3. The Court’s assessment ................................................................... 57
(a) Whether the alcohol in the second consignment was the second
applicant company’s “possessions” ................................................. 57
(b) Whether the destruction of the second consignement was
contrary to the Convention ............................................................... 60
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UNIYA OOO AND BELCOURT TRADING COMPANY v. RUSSIA JUDGMENT
III. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 1 OF PROTOCOL No. 1 ON
ACCOUNT OF THE SEIZURE OF THE ALCOHOL ............................... 61
IV. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 OF THE CONVENTION 61
A. The parties’ submissions .................................................................... 62
B. The Court’s assessment ...................................................................... 62
1. Scope of the case ............................................................................. 62
2. General principles ........................................................................... 63
3. Application to the present case ....................................................... 64
(a) Effects of the “special ruling” of 24 November 2000 ............... 64
(b) A temporary ban on complaints under Article 125 ................... 65
V. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION .............. 68
A. The parties’ submissions .................................................................... 68
1. The applicant companies ................................................................. 68
2. The Government ............................................................................. 69
B. The Court’s assessment ...................................................................... 69
1. Pecuniary damage ........................................................................... 70
(a) “Loss of business” ..................................................................... 70
(b) Loss of the first consignment .................................................... 70
(c) Loss of the second consignment ................................................ 70
2. Non-pecuniary damage ................................................................... 72
3. Costs and expenses ......................................................................... 72