The European Court of Human Rights has unanimously ruled that Holocaust denial is not a protected right under the Convention.

The applicant’s complaint under Article 10 (freedom of expression) was manifestly ill-founded and had to be rejected, according to the Court. They also found by four votes to three that there had been no violation of Article 6 § 1 (right to a fair trial) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The case concerned the conviction of a Land deputy for denying the Holocaust during a speech in the regional Parliament.

The Court found in particular that the applicant had intentionally stated untruths to defame Jews. Such statements could not attract the protection for freedom of speech offered