About IFEX:

News by region:

IFEX Campaigns and Advocacy:

IFEX Email Products:

Opportunities and assistance:

Alert

Journalist's conviction set aside by European Court of Human Rights

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 2 April 2001 media release from the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), a regional group of the IFJ:




Court Victory for Press Freedom: Luxembourg Journalists? Ten-Year Battle Vindicated

The European Federation of Journalists welcomes the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Luxembourg journalist Marc Thoma.

The European Court has ruled that all counts of the conviction of Mr. Thoma constituted a breach of Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights. The Luxembourg radio journalist was convicted and sentenced for quoting a newspaper report in which Luxembourg forestry workers were accused of corruption. Luxembourg?s courts had found Thoma guilty on all counts of the original conviction.

The European Court has now decided that the "right of quotation" is covered by Article 10 of the European Convention.

On the announcement of the court's verdict, Gustl Glattfelder, chair of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) said: "This is another victory for freedom of expression, in line with previous decisions of the European Court in Strasbourg. We petition the Luxembourg government to seriously take in to account this ruling when finalising their work on the draft Law on Freedom of Expression and the Mass Media."

The EFJ calls upon all European governments to look to the rulings of the Strasbourg Court when considering regulations that bear upon freedom of expression.