On April 18, 2024, the European Court of Human Rights issued a decision in the case of Kirkorov against Lithuania. The case concerned a complaint filed by Russian and Bulgarian singer Philipp Kirkorov against Lithuania regarding a ban on entry to the country due to Kirkorov’s statements about “Russian Crimea”. The singer claimed that this decision violated his right to freedom of speech.

The court ruled that Kirkorov’s public support for Russia’s occupation of Crimea, regular concerts on the peninsula, and general support for Russian aggression were sufficient grounds for restricting his entry under the article on threatening the national security of the country. At the same time, Kirkorov did not deny his statements and support for Russian aggression during the proceedings.

Pavlo Pushkar, the Head of Division at the Department for the Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights of the Directorate General of Human Rights and the Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, drew attention to the key arguments of the Court in this case in his post on social media.

The court particularly noted: “The applicant publicly expressed his support for the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and broadcast messages that the return of the Crimean peninsula to Russia was a glorious and victorious event.”

Thus, the European Court of Human Rights recognized that the dissemination of propaganda statements and support for the Russian occupation of Crimea do not belong to the right to freedom of expression, but rather are a form of interference with this right. Lithuania’s actions to protect its national security interests by banning Kirkorov from entering the country had a legitimate aim and were proportional.