ECHR rules in favour of Novaya Gazeta against Russia over war coverage ban

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in favour of Novaya Gazeta and other plaintiffs in their case against Russia. The court found that Russia violated the right to freedom of expression by banning any deviation from the Kremlin's official narrative on the Russo-Ukrainian war and also violated other rights of the applicants.

This case involves Novaya Gazeta and others against Russia, concerning laws introduced after the full-scale invasion that penalised "discrediting the military" or spreading "fake news" about the military.

In total, 178 individual plaintiffs were convicted under these laws, either on criminal or administrative charges, and Novaya Gazeta and Dozhd TV were banned. 

The ECHR ruled it had jurisdiction to hear the case, as the events in question took place before 16 September 2022, when Russia ceased to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. 

The ECHR judges unanimously concluded that Russia's actions violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of expression. The court highlighted systemic restrictions on reporting about the Russo-Ukrainian war, reflecting coordinated efforts by Russian authorities to suppress dissenting views rather than measures aimed at addressing real national security threats.

"Essentially the national courts had criminalised any reporting of information that contradicted the official narrative. They considered the mere use of the term ‘war’ rather than ‘special military operation’ as harmful, without considering the content or context of the expressions used," ECHR press service stated.

The judges also unanimously found that Russia violated Article 34 of the Convention regarding the revocation of Novaya Gazeta’s licence and its blocking, despite interim measures previously set by the Court.

Additionally, the judges identified further violations of the convention concerning five individual plaintiffs, including breaches of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment), Article 5 (right to liberty and security), and Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life).

As part of the Court’s ruling, Russia is required to pay compensation to the applicants for the harm caused: up to €7,500 (depending on the amount claimed) for non-material damages and up to €850 for legal costs for each applicant.

The ECHR continues to review cases against Russia, despite the lack of cooperation from the Russian side since March 2022. 

The ECHR’s president emphasised that interstate cases against Russia remain a priority for the ECHR.