received a plot of land under the conditions indicated by the applicant, and the Saratov town hall had put at the disposal of the prosecutor's offices, free of charge, a Hyundai car, six tables and nine filing cabinets.
12. However, in the District Court's view, the applicant had failed to show that the mayor's close circle had been "spared responsibility" and that furniture, a foreign-made car or a land plot had been offered "in gratitude for support".
13. The District Court held that the entire extract had been defamatory, ordered the newspaper to publish a rectification, and recovered 5,000 Russian roubles each from the applicant and the newspaper.
14. On 19 December 2003 the Saratov Regional Court, on an appeal by the applicant, upheld the judgment.
II. Relevant domestic law and practice
A. Constitution of the Russian Federation
15. Article 29 guarantees freedom of thought and expression, together with freedom of the mass media.
B. Civil Code of the Russian Federation of 30 November 1994
16. Article 152 provides that an individual may apply to a court with a request for the rectification of "statements" (сведения) that are damaging to his or her honour, dignity or professional reputation if the person who disseminated such statements does not prove their truthfulness. The aggrieved person may also claim compensation for losses and non-pecuniary damage sustained as a result of the dissemination of such statements.
C. Resolution No. 11 of the Plenary Supreme Court
of the Russian Federation of 18 August 1992
(amended on 25 April 1995)
17. The Resolution (in force at the material time) provided that, in order to be considered damaging, statements (сведения) had to be untrue and contain allegations of a breach, by a person or legal entity, of laws or moral principles (commission of a dishonest act, improper behaviour in the workplace or in everyday life, etc.). Dissemination of statements was understood to mean the publication of statements or their broadcasting, inclusion in professional references, public speeches or applications to State officials, and communication in other forms, including oral, to at least one other person (section 2).
18. Section 7 of the Resolution governed the distribution of the burden of proof in defamation cases. The plaintiff had to show that the statements had indeed been disseminated by the defendant. The defendant had to prove that the disseminated statements were true and accurate.
THE LAW
I. Alleged violation of Article 10 of the Convention
19. The applicant complained that there had been a violation of his right to freedom of expression as set forth in Article 10 of the Convention, which reads as follows:
"1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.
2. The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary."
A. Admissibility
20. The Court notes th
> 1 2 3 ... 9 10 11 ... 13 14 15
Zaki.ru законы и право
поиск по сайту
каталог документов
добавить сайт Zaki.ru в избранное
Правовые акты международные
Правовые акты Российской Федерации
