Published on 19 May 2025
THIRD SECTION
Application no. 52608/22
Velika Georgieva NIKOLOVA
against Bulgaria
lodged on 4 November 2022
communicated on 30 April 2025
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE
The application concerns, under Article 10 of the Convention, the conviction and the imposition of a fine on the applicant for having insulted a public official (teacher).
In a final judgment of 5 July 2022, the Sofia City Court found the applicant guilty of insulting her son’s kindergarten teacher by telling her „You are not an educator at all!“ („Вие не сте никакъв педагог!“). The court waived the applicant’s criminal liability and imposed an administrative fine of 1,000 Bulgarian levs (BGN), equivalent of 511 euros (EUR). It also ordered her to pay the teacher’s costs for the proceedings, amounting to BGN 1,723 (EUR 881).
QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES
Has there been an interference with the applicant’s right to freedom of expression, within the meaning of Article 10 § 1 of the Convention? If so, was that interference “necessary in a democratic society” in terms of Article 10 § 2 (see Janowski v. Poland [GC], no. 25716/94, §§ 30 and 33, ECHR 1999-I)?
The applicant is requested to provide the Court with a copy of the reasons of the Sofia City Court’s judgment of 5 July 2022.
The parties are invited to provide information about the enforcement of the above-mentioned judgment and to submit all relevant documents in this respect.