Suspended prison sentence of a TV presenter for disclosing confidential images violates ECHR

EHRM 8 oktober 2013 (DEF 8 januari 2014), Appl. No. 30210/06 (Ricci v. Italy)
Samenvatting van Dirk Voorhoof, Universiteit Gent in IRIS 2014-1:1/1. Media. In its judgment in the case of Ricci v. Italy the European Court of Human Rights found that the suspended prison sentence of a TV presenter for disclosing confidential images violated Article 10 of the Convention. The Court is of the opinion that the nature and severity of the prison sentence constituted a disproportionate interference with the applicant’s right to freedom of expression. The Court’s judgment confirms that prison sentences for defamation of public persons or for making confidential information public, in principle amount to a breach of Article 10 of the Convention (see also ECtHR (GC) 17 December 2004, Cumpănă and Mazăre v. Romania, IRIS 2005-2/4 and ECtHR 24 September 2013, Belpietro v. Italy, IRIS 2013-10/1).
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