Cases

Fedchenko v Russia (No 2)

Held

Finding a violation of Article 10:

The Plaintiff was the head of the Bryansk Department of education. Civil servants acting in an official capacity are, like politicans, subject to wider limits of acceptable criticism than a private individual. He was therefore obliged to display a greater degree of tolerance and to tolerate a significant amount of public criticism. The subject matter of publication was the state of the educational system in the Bryansk Region and thus formed part of a debate on a matter of general public concern. The domestic courts failed to establish any pressing social need for putting the plaintiff's personality rights above the applicant's rights and general interest in promoting the freedom of press where issues of public interest are concerned.

Also