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This was reported in a press release of the ECHR, Ukrinform reports.
The ECHR concluded that the Russian authorities violated the right to freedom of speech by prohibiting deviation from the official Russian narrative in covering Moscow's war against Ukraine.
It is noted that 178 individual plaintiffs in this case were convicted under the new legislation in criminal or administrative proceedings, and Novaya Gazeta and the Dozhd TV channel were banned in Russia.
"In today's Chamber decision in this case, the European Court of Human Rights unanimously ruled that (the actions of the Russian authorities towards the applicants – ed.) there was a violation of Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights," the press release states.
The court concluded that there were systemic restrictions on reporting on the Russian-Ukrainian war, reflecting coordinated efforts by the Russian authorities that were more akin to suppressing opinions that disagreed with the official line than to measures to prevent real threats to national security.
“In essence, national courts have criminalized any messages or statements that contradict the official narrative describing the invasion of Ukraine as a ‘SVO,’” the statement said.
The judges also unanimously concluded that there had been a violation of Article 34 of the ECHR in the matter of the termination of Novaya Gazeta's license and its blocking, despite the interim measures ordered by the court.
In addition, the judges found a number of violations of the Convention in respect of five individual applicants, in particular Article 3 on the prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment, Article 5 on the right to liberty and security, and Article 8 on respect for private and family life.
The Court held that Russia was to pay the applicants EUR 7 (or the lesser amount actually claimed) in compensation for non-pecuniary damage and EUR 500 in compensation for legal costs and expenses.
