CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 18 juillet 2002

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s94935B0F { width:389.85pt; display:inline-block } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s40F41F73 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .sF7DC2522 { width:21.22pt; display:inline-block } .s23A41E03 { width:36pt; display:inline-block } .sACDDC807 { width:17.25pt; display:inline-block } .s9334952F { width:31.25pt; display:inline-block } .s809F7D1D { width:3.26pt; display:inline-block } .s412B2D00 { width:7.25pt; display:inline-block } .sFE4ECC35 { width:33.26pt; display:inline-block } .sADADF4A7 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline } .sCB9E0544 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left } .sCB27B9E { width:16.66pt; display:inline-block } .s4D28B2E2 { width:24pt; display:inline-block } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS       382   18.7.2002   Press release issued by the Registrar   CHAMBER JUDGMENTS CONCERNING Austria and Italy     The European Court of Human Rights has today notified in writing the following seven Chamber judgments, all of which are final.     Section 1   (1)     Freiheitliche Landesgruppe Burgenland v. Austria (no. 34320/96)   Friendly Settlement   Freiheitliche Landesgruppe Burgenland is the Burgenland Regional Branch of the Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, an Austrian political party, which publishes the periodical “The Burgenland News” ( Burgenländische Nachrichten ).   An article featured in one issue of the periodical reported that the chairs of the regional party branches of the Austrian Social Democratic Party ( Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs - SPÖ) and the Austrian Peoples’ Party ( Österreichische Volkspartei - ÖVP) - Mr Rezar and Mr Kaplan - were trying to find irregularities in the political and private life of the Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs chair, Mr Rauter. It was also stated that Mr Rauter had given a press conference and had successfully defended his reputation. Page 8 of the periodical carried a caricature showing two pigs rubbing themselves against the trunk of a tree, with the caption:   “Wolfgang Rauter on the unfair attacks by Rezar, Kaplan and Co: how does it bother an oak tree if pigs rub themselves against it?”   On 23 June 1995 Mr Kaplan filed an action for insult under Section 115 of the Criminal Code against Mr Rauter and the Freiheitliche Landesgruppe Burgenland. On 16 November 1995 the Vienna Regional Criminal Court acquitted M. Rauter.     On 3 January 1996 Mr Kaplan appealed. On 13 March 1996 the Vienna Court of Appeal ( Oberlandesgericht ) upheld Mr Rauter’s acquittal but ordered the applicant party branch to pay 20,000 Austrian schillings for non-pecuniary damage, finding that the publication of the caricature and caption constituted an insult under Section 115.   Relying on Article 10 (right to freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Freiheitliche Landesgruppe Burgenland alleges that the order to pay damages violated its right to freedom of expression.   The case has been struck out following a friendly settlement in which 5,500 euros (EUR) is to be paid for any non-pecuniary or pecuniary damage, costs and expenses. (The judgment is available only in English.)       Friendly Settlements The applicants in the following six Italian cases complain about their prolonged inability - through lack of police assistance - to recover possession of their apartments and about the duration of the eviction proceedings. They rely on Article 6 § 1 (right to determination of civil rights within a reasonable time) and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (protection of property) except the case N. and D. v. Italy which only relies on Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. The cases have been struck out following friendly settlements in which the applicants are to be paid the following amounts for any non-pecuniary or pecuniary damage, costs and expenses.   (2)     Tacchino and Scorza v. Italy (no. 34714/97)     3,250 EUR to each applicant (3)     N. and D. v. Italy (no. 35243/97)       3,097.94 EUR to Ms C.D.A. (4)     Venturi v. Italy (no. 36010/97)         5,164.57 EUR (5)     Pittini v. Italy (no. 37007/97)         9,296.22 EUR (6)     Vietti v. Italy (no. 37248/97)         15,493.71 EUR (7)     C.M.F.   v. Italy (no. 38415/97)         12,911.42 EUR   ***   The full texts of the Court’s judgments are accessible on its Internet site ( http://www.echr.coe.int ).   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contacts:   Emma Hellyer (telephone: (0)3 90 21 42 15) or     Stéphanie Klein (telephone: (0)3 88 41 21 54) Fax: (0)3 88 41 27 91   The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. On 1 November 1998 a full-time Court was established, replacing the original two-tier system of a part-time Commission and Court.