Finnish journalist: right to free expression breached

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19:24 May 22 2014 Helsinki, 7;8, Kluuvi, Helsinki, Helsingin seutukunta, Uusimaa, Southern Finland, 00120, Finland

On April 29 2014, the European Court of Human Rights rejected a free speech claim over a defamation conviction by a Finnish journalist.

In August 2006 journalist Tiina Johanna Salumaki and her editor in chief were convicted of defaming a businessman. The newspaper published a front page story, asking whether the victim of a homicide had connections with this businessman, K. U.

The court ruled that Salumaki and the newspaper had to pay damages and costs to K. U.

This year they appealed at the European Court of Human Rights. According to Salumaki her right to free expression was breached.

The Human Rights court rejected her free speech claim and ruled in favor of K. U. ‘There was no violation of the freedom of speech in a case in which the damage was more related to the context of the information published in the newspaper than in its accuracy’.

From http://mediafreedom.ushahidi.com/reports/view/48