European Court on Human Rights condemns Orthodox Bishop

He had publicly described homosexuals as "mentally ill" and "the scum of society": After a Greek court convicted an Orthodox bishop, he turned to Strasbourg - citing freedom of expression.

A Bishop cannot invoke the right to freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights for public hate speech against homosexuals. The Human Rights Court in Strasbourg dismissed a corresponding request on Thursday.

The now 85-year-old Orthodox priest Amvrosios-Athanasios Lenis turned to Strasbourg after he, as head of the metropolis of Kalavryta and Aigialeia in Greece, described homosexuals as "mentally ill" and the "scum of society" in a blog in 2015. A Greek court had sentenced him to seven months imprisonment on probation.

Sexual minorities require special protection

The judges in Strasbourg argued that the statements were likely to arouse discrimination and hatred. Bringing freedom of expression into play here would misuse this human right. In addition, the court emphasized the bishop's influence on large parts of the population and the dissemination of the statements on the Internet. The Strasbourg judges also pointed out that sexual minorities, especially in Greece, require special protection.

The bishop's derogatory and dehumanizing contribution was "directly aimed at an issue that is of great importance in modern European society - the protection of the dignity and value of people regardless of their sexual orientation," according to the ruling. The decision is final.

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