Abstract

On June 11th, 2020, the European Court of Human Rights delivered its long-awaited judgement on the Baldassi and Others v. France case. The Court concluded that France had violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (freedom of expression) by convicting a group of BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement) activists on for incitement to economic discrimination. The activists were distributing leaflets in a supermarket, calling onto people not to buy Israeli products while the State of Israel continues to violate International Law against the Palestinian people. However, the Baldassi case, although setting an important precedent, does not constitute an isolated case. On the contrary, it takes place within a broader political context in which pro-Palestinian human rights defenders have been facing serious threats to exercise their rights, above of all their right to free speech. Activists’ right to free speech has been curtailed in many Western democracies, culminating to criminal trials not only in France but also in Spain, Scotland, and Germany. This event brings together legal experts, practitioners, and activists, to discuss the impact and perspectives that might be gained from the judgement on Baldassi and Others v. France. After the speakers’ presentations, we look forward to an engaging Q&A with all participants.

Speakers include

Dr. Paolo Cavaliere - Lecturer in Digital Media and IT Law, Edinburgh Law School
Alys Samson-Estapé - European Coordinator for the Boycott National Committee (BNC) – Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement
Dr. Jean-Christophe Duhamel, legal researcher at Lille Law Faculty, France
Nadija Samour - Palestinian human rights lawyer based in Berlin

Chaired by Nadia Silhi-Chahin, PhD researcher – Edinburgh Law School

Baldassi and others v. France: impact and perspectives