CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 9 décembre 1999

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .sA1D3DA2E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s94935B0F { width:389.85pt; display:inline-block } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s76CF415B { page-break-before:always; clear:both } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s33165EBA { font-family:Arial; font-size:8pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } .sD35C6159 { width:1.54pt; display:inline-block } .s38DD6A04 { width:18.2pt; display:inline-block } .sCB27B9E { width:16.66pt; display:inline-block } .sC5412BEF { width:51.05pt; display:inline-block } .sF6A12959 { width:33%; height:1px; text-align:left } .s2EB42ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt } .s653E6C45 { font-family:Arial; font-size:6.67pt; vertical-align:super; color:#0069d6 } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS     706   9.12.1999   Press release issued by the Registrar   HEARING IN THE CASE OF FUENTES BOBO v. SPAIN   Thursday, 9 December 1999 at 9.30 a.m.     The applicant   The case concerns an application (application no. 39293/98) brought by a Spanish applicant, Bernardo Fuentes Bobo, who was born in 1940 and lives in Madrid. He is a television programme producer and scriptwriter.   Summary of the facts   At the material time, the applicant had been employed by the Spanish State television company TVE since 1971. At the end of 1992 the programme he produced was dropped and no replacement post was offered to him. On the other hand, he was asked to clock on, his only duties thenceforth consisting in the obligation to be present during working hours.   Following a demonstration by the staff in October 1993 against the unsatisfactory management of TVE, the applicant wrote an article in the newspaper Diario 16 criticising the various actions of the management. He then received a letter informing him where he was to work until such time as he was offered a post. However, when he went there, the applicant discovered that no office had been allocated to him. An exchange of correspondence and a document written by the applicant which he circulated among the other staff led to disciplinary proceedings. These ended, in January 1994, with the applicant’s suspension without pay, first for 16 days and later for 60 days. The applicant lodged an administrative appeal, which was dismissed. He then appealed to the Madrid High Court ( Tribunal Superior de Justicia) , which set aside the lower court’s judgment and declared the disciplinary sanction null and void. In the meantime, the applicant had commented on the sanctions and TVE’s actions in two radio programmes. That gave rise to new disciplinary proceedings which ended with his dismissal on 15 April 1994.   Various appeals by the applicant and TVE ended, at final instance, with a judgment of the Constitutional Court, which dismissed an appeal de amparo by the applicant on the ground that there had been no violation of his right to the freedom of expression.   Complaints   The applicant complains, among other things, that his dismissal infringed his right to the freedom of expression set forth in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. He further relied on Article   14 of the Convention, alleging that he had been the victim of discrimination. Procedure   The application was lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights on 5 January 1998. On 1 November 1998 the application was transmitted to the Court pursuant to Article 5 § 2 of Protocol No. 11 to the Convention, which came into force on that date.   On 1 June 1999 the Court (Fourth Section) declared admissible the applicant’s complaints relating to his right to the freedom of expression (Article 10 of the Convention) and the principle of non-discrimination (Article 14). It declared the remainder of the application inadmissible.   Composition of the Court   The case will be heard by a Chamber composed as follows:   Matti Pellonpää (Finnish), President , Georg Ress (German), Antonio Pastor Ridruejo (Spanish), Lucius Caflisch [1] (Swiss), Jerzy Makarczyk (Polish), Ireneu Cabral Barreto (Portuguese), Nina Vajić (Croatian), Judges , Volodymyr Butkevych (Ukrainian), John Hedigan (Irish), Snejana Botoucharova (Bulgarian), Substitute Judges ,   and also Vincent Berger , Section Registrar .   Representatives of the parties   Government:   Javier Borrego Borrego , Agent ;   Applicant:   Manuel Ollé Sesé , Counsel .   The applicant, Mr Fuentes Bobo , will also attend the hearing.   After the hearing the Court will begin its deliberations, which are held in private. Judgment will be delivered at a later date.   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contacts:   Roderick Liddell (telephone: (0)3 88 41 24 92)   Emma Hellyer (telephone: (0)3 90 21 42 15) 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. [1] Judge elected in respect of Liechtenstein.