In its decision in the case of Terheş v. Romania (application no. 49933/20) the European Court of Human Rights unanimously declared the application inadmissible.
The case concerned the lockdown which was ordered by the Romanian government from 24 March to 14 May 2020 to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and which entailed restrictions on leaving one’s home.
The Court held that the measure complained of could not be equated with house arrest. The level of restrictions on the applicant’s freedom of movement had not been such that the general lockdown ordered by the authorities could be deemed to constitute a deprivation of liberty. In the Court’s view, the applicant could not therefore be said to have been deprived of his liberty within the meaning of Article 5 § 1 of the Convention.
The decision is final.