On Tuesday 26 May, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg held that Hungary violated the right of freedom of expression of six journalists subject to bans on reporting on Hungarian parliamentary proceedings. The journalists had been restricted by the parliamentary speaker from filming in and reporting from areas within the legislative precinct, in a marked departure from previous practice in Hungary.
The matters raised by the case are of increasing public importance in light of the noticeable trend in Europe, the Americas, and Africa restricting the access of the media to politicians and legislative proceedings.
Can Yeginsu and Anthony Jones, leading juniors in the fields of civil liberties and human rights, acted for a coalition of leading international media organizations led by the Media Legal Defence Initiative, intervening in the proceedings.
A copy of the European Court’s judgment is available here.
