Yuri Zoria

ECHR finds Russia's war censorship an effort to silence dissent - Euromaidan Press

https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/02/11/echr-finds-russias-war-censorship-an-effort-to-silence-dissent/

ECHR finds Russia’s war censorship an effort to silence dissent

The Strasbourg-based court’s decision addresses Russia’s widespread censorship, which targeted media and criminalized opposition to the official narrative on the Ukraine invasion.

byYuri Zoria

11/02/2025

2 minute read

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European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg, France. Photo: ECHR

ECHR finds Russia’s war censorship an effort to silence dissent

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on 11 February that Russian authorities engaged in “a coordinated effort to suppress dissent” in relation to the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, AFP reports. The Strasbourg-based court condemned Russia for imposing a “systemic and widespread pattern of reporting restrictions” following the invasion.

After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia was excluded from the Council of Europe in 2022 and subsequently withdrew from the European Convention on Human Rights. Despite this, the ECHR retains jurisdiction over cases brought against Russia prior to its departure from the Council, ensuring that its rulings still apply to actions taken during this period.

This ECHR ruling came after complaints were filed by Russian independent media outlets such as Novaya Gazeta, TV Rain, and individual applicants. The case focused on censorship aimed at preventing public criticism of the war.

According to the court, Russia’s actions effectively banned media outlets from openly discussing the war and forced numerous independent Russian media organizations to leave the country. These organizations were then forced to restart operations abroad.

However, even when reporting from abroad, many Russian independent media outlets still often follow the Kremlin’s narratives and humanize the invading force without justification.

The ruling was based on complaints regarding the use of restrictive laws passed by the Russian government, which prohibited the use of terms like “war” to describe the invasion, instead requiring media outlets to follow the government narrative that labeled the invasion a “special military operation.”

The ECHR ruled that these measures violated the European Convention on Human Rights, specifically the article protecting freedom of expression. The court concluded that the restrictions were part of a coordinated effort to suppress dissent rather than a legitimate attempt to protect national security.

“National courts had criminalized any reporting or statements that contradicted the official narrative describing the invasion of Ukraine as a ‘special military operation,'” the court said in its statement.

It also criticized the lack of efforts to balance the interests of the public with the government’s restrictions.

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ECHR finds Russia's war censorship an effort to silence dissent - Euromaidan Press

ECHR finds Russia’s war censorship an effort to silence dissent

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