Lexploria

EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Application No. 14191/88

Carl G. HOLM

against

SWEDEN

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION

(adopted on 13 October 1992)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

I. INTRODUCTION

(paras. 1 - 16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

A. The application

(paras. 2 - 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

B. The proceedings

(paras. 5 - 11). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

C. The present Report

(paras. 12 - 16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

II. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FACTS

(paras. 17 - 39). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

A. The particular circumstances of the case

(paras. 17 - 31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

B. Relevant domestic law and practice

(paras. 32 - 39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

III. OPINION OF THE COMMISSION

(paras. 40 - 66). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

A. Complaint declared admissible

(para. 40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

B. Point at issue

(para. 41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

C. Article 6 para. 1 of the Convention

(paras. 42 - 66) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

DISSENTING OPINION OF MR. J.-C. GEUS. . . . . . . . . . . . 33

APPENDIX I : HISTORY OF THE PROCEEDINGS . . . . . . . . 35

APPENDIX II : DECISION ON THE ADMISSIBILITY. . . . . . . 36

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The following is an outline of the case as submitted to the

European Commission of Human Rights, and of the procedure before the

Commission.

A. The application

2. The applicant is a Swedish citizen, born in 1949. He is an

economist and resides at Täby, Sweden. In the proceedings before the

Commission the applicant is represented by Mr. Bertil Malmlöf, a lawyer

practising in Stockholm.

3. The application is directed against Sweden. The respondent

Government are represented by their Agent, Mr. Carl Henrik Ehrenkrona

of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

4. The case concerns defamation proceedings instituted by the

applicant in the District Court (tingsrätten) of Stockholm in

accordance with the procedure set out in the Freedom of the Press Act

(tryckfrihetsförordningen, hereafter called the FPA). The applicant

considers that the case was not determined by an independent and

impartial tribunal and invokes Article 6 para. 1 of the Convention.

B. The proceedings

5. The application was introduced on 24 January 1987 and registered

on 6 September 1988. On 7 May 1990 the Commission decided to give

notice of the application to the respondent Government and to invite

them to present, before 24 August 1990, their observations in writing

on the admissibility and merits of the application.

6. The Government submitted their observations on 23 August 1990.

The applicant's written observations in reply were submitted on

30 November 1990.

7. Legal aid under the Addendum to the Commission's Rules of

Procedure was granted to the applicant on 13 December 1991.

8. On 14 October 1991 the Commission decided to invite the parties

to appear before it at a hearing on the admissibility and merits of the

application.

9. The hearing was held on 9 January 1992. The applicant was present

in person and was represented by Mr. Bertil Malmlöf as counsel and by

Ms. Pia Attoff as adviser. The Government were represented by their

Agent, Mr. Carl Henrik Ehrenkrona, and by. Mr. Bertil Wennberg as

adviser.

10. Following the hearing the Commission declared the application

admissible. The parties were then invited to submit additional

observations on the merits of the case. Such observations were

submitted by the applicant on 2 March 1992 and by the Government on

26 March 1992.

11. After declaring the case admissible, the Commission, acting in

accordance with Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the Convention, placed itself

at the disposal of the parties with a view to securing a friendly

settlement of the case. In the light of the parties' reaction, the

Commission now finds that there is no basis upon which such a

settlement can be effected.

C. The present Report

12. The present Report has been drawn up by the Commission in

pursuance of Article 31 of the Convention and after deliberations and

votes, the following members being present:

MM. C. A. NØRGAARD, President

S. TRECHSEL

E. BUSUTTIL

G. JÖRUNDSSON

A. WEITZEL

J.-C. SOYER

H. G. SCHERMERS

H. DANELIUS

Sir Basil HALL

Mr. F. MARTINEZ RUIZ

Mrs. J. LIDDY

MM. L. LOUCAIDES

J.-C. GEUS

M. P. PELLONPÄÄ

B. MARXER

13. The text of this Report was adopted on 13 October 1992 and is now

transmitted to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, in

accordance with Article 31 para. 2 of the Convention.

14. The purpose of the Report, pursuant to Article 31 of the

Convention, is:

i) to establish the facts, and

ii) to state an opinion as to whether the facts found disclose a

breach by the State concerned of its obligations under the

Convention.

15. A schedule setting out the history of the proceedings before the

Commission is attached hereto as Appendix I and the Commission's

decision on the admissibility of the application as Appendix II.

16. The full text of the parties' submissions, together with the

documents lodged as exhibits, are held in the archives of the

Commission.

II. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FACTS

A. The particular circumstances of the case

17. In 1974 the applicant and a number of other persons established

a foundation called Contra. The aim of Contra was, according to the

applicant, mainly to survey communist governments in eastern Europe and

to critically examine the activities of the Swedish Social Democratic

Workers Party (Sveriges socialdemokratiska arbetareparti, hereafter

called SAP).

18. In 1985 a book called "Till höger om neutraliteten" was published

by the publishing company Tidens Bokförlag AB. The aim of the book was

inter alia to survey organisations and persons on the right wing of the

political spectrum. The author of the book was a Mr. Sven-Ove Hansson.

He was at the time employed by Tidens Bokförlag AB. According to the

applicant Mr. Hansson had served as an ideological consultant to the

SAP and was well-known within the party.

19. Tidens Bokförlag AB was founded in 1912 and was at that time

directly owned by the SAP. As from 1 January 1985 85% of its shares are

owned by AB Förenade Arebolagen, a company which is 100% owned by the

SAP. The remaining 15% of the shares are owned by Folkparkernas

Centralorganisation which, according to the applicant, is an

organisation closely linked to and controlled by the SAP. It is

undisputed that Tidens Bokförlag AB is known, inter alia, for having

published articles and books based on social democratic ideas written

by persons known for supporting such views.

20. One of the chapters in the book, consisting of 52 pages,

concerned the applicant, partly his personal activities and partly

activities in connection with the foundation Contra. On 15 April 1986

the applicant, who at that time was employed by the Swedish Federation

of Industries (Sveriges Industriförbund), instituted private

prosecution proceedings for libel in the District Court of Stockholm

against Mr. Sven-Ove Hansson. In the same proceedings he also sued the

author and Tidens Bokförlag AB, claiming 200,000 Swedish crowns in

damages for alleged libellous remarks in the book. These remarks, which

were all to be found in the chapter concerning the applicant, read as

follows:

(Swedish)

(1) "Fallet Holm - näringslivet och högerextremismen

...

Holm har blivit utesluten för högeravvikelse från Moderata

ungdomsförbundet.

...

Den 17 maj 1974 skickade Demokratisk Allians (majoritets-

falangen) en skrivelse till föreningsbyrån vid Stockholms

kommun, där man varnade mot utbrytargruppen. I skrivelsen

beskrevs de uteslutna medlemmarna som högerextremister.

...

Holm och Mólnár uteslöts i april 1974 ur Demokratisk

Allians och strax därefter ur MUF för högerextremism."

(translation)

"The case Holm - industry and the right wing extremism

...

Holm has been expelled from the Conservative Youth

Organisation as a result of right wing divergence.

...

On 17 May 1974 the Democratic Alliance (the majority

phalanx) sent a communication to the association office at

the Stockholm Municipality warning against the secession

group. In the communication the expelled members were

described as right wing extremists.

...

Holm and Mólnár were expelled from the Democratic Alliance

in April 1974 and soon after from the Conservative Youth

Organisation as a result of right wing extremism."

(Swedish)

(2) "I augusti 1973, då Holm var sekreterare i Stockholms-

föreningen av Demokratisk Allians, fick han en framgång i

det internationella arbetet. I föreningens

verksamhetsberättelse heter det:

'Fyra DA-representanter deltog i augusti i World

Anti- Communist Leagues konferens i London. Carl

G. Holm var ordförande för denna konferens'

ungdomsdel.'

World Anti-Communist League (WACL) är som namnet anger en

internationell antikommunistisk organisation. Den moderate

politikern (numera riksdagsmannen) Birger Hagård är den

kanske mest kända av de svenskar som har deltagit i WACLs

verksamhet. År 1974 redovisade den brittiske konservative

politikern Geoffrey Stewart-Smith att WACL dominerades av

fascistiska och antisemitiska grupper. Bl a hade

organisationen kontakter med det svenska Nordiska

Rikspartiet. Till de mera framträdande deltagarna i WACLs

verksamhet hör Ku Klux Klan och det italienska

nyfascistiska partiet MSI. År 1981 avslöjade Aftonbladet

att organisationen till stor del bestod av nynazister och

gamla SS-män. Till de mera framträdande svenskarna i

organisationen hörde enligt Aftonbladet Åke Lindsten,

ordförande i det nazistiska Sveriges Nationella Förbund."

(translation)

"In August 1973, when Holm was secretary to the Stockholm

association of the Democratic Alliance he was successful in

the international work. In the association's annual report

it is stated:

'Four Democratic Alliance representatives

attended the World Anti-Communist League's

Conference in London in August. Carl G. Holm was

the chairman of the youth section of this

conference.'

The World Anti-Communist League (WACL), as indicated by the

name, is an international anti-communist organisation. The

politician of the Conservative Party (now member of the

Riksdag) Birger Hagård is probably the most well-known

among the Swedes who have taken part in WACL's activities.

In 1974 the British conservative politician, Geoffrey

Stewart-Smith, showed that the WACL was dominated by

fascist and anti-semitic groups. The organisation had inter

alia contacts with the Swedish Nordic National Party. Among

the more prominent participants in the WACL's activities

were the Ku Klux Klan and the Italian neo-fascist party,

MSI. In 1981 the newspaper Aftonbladet revealed that the

organisation to a great extent consisted of neo-nazis and

old SS-men. One of the more prominent Swedes in the

organisation was according to the Aftonbladet Åke Lindsten,

chairman of the nazi oriented Swedish National Union."

(Swedish)

(3) "Holm och Mólnár hade således blivit uteslutna för

högerextremism ur Demokratisk Allians, samtidigt som

ledningen för MUF ansåg redan Demokratisk Allians vara en

högerextrem riktning som MUF-are inte borde vara medlemmar

i. Mot denna bakgrund är det inte förvånande att de även

blev uteslutna ur MUF.

...

'Vår förening har naturligtvis politiska

motståndare både till vänster och till höger. På

senare tid har motståndarna till 'höger',

diverse odemokratiska nationalkonservativa och

nazistiska och fascistiska grupper hårt

attackerat och på olika sätt försökt försvåra

vårt arbete. Då vi är lika starkt antinazistiska

som antikommunistiska, har detta ådragit oss det

s.k. Nordiska Rikspartiets synnerliga vrede.

Man har på högerextremistiskt håll inte väjt för

några metoder i syfte att misskreditera vår

förening och skada densamma.'"

(translation)

"Holm and Mólnár had accordingly been expelled from the

Democratic Alliance as a result of right wing extremism, at

the same time as the management of the Conservative Youth

Organisation already considered the Democratic Alliance to

be an extreme right wing group in which members of the

Conservative Youth Organisation should not be members. In

these circumstances it is not surprising that they were

also expelled from that organisation.

...

'Our association has of course political

opponents to the left as well as to the right.

Recently the opponents to 'the right', various

undemocratic national conservative and nazi and

fascist groups, have severely attacked and in

different ways tried to destroy our work. As we

are as strongly anti-nazis as anti-communists it

has caused us the pronounced wrath of the so-

called Nordic National Party. No methods have

been spared from the right wing extremist side

to discredit and damage our association.'"

(Swedish)

(4) "En strid om kassan

...

Den 4 juni 1974 gjorde majoritetsfalangen en polisanmälan

mot Carl G. Holm. Man anklagade honom där för att ha

förskingrat pengar från föreningens postgirokonto:

'En gemensam postgirokassa, som vår förening har

tillsammans med våra systeravdelningar i

Göteborg och i Malmö för vår gemensamma

medlemstidning Opinion för frihet ... och där

ovannämnde Holm hade teckningsrätten tillsammans

med två andra personer i respektive Göteborg och

Malmö ..., sades i april av representanter för

den ovannämnda 'utbrytargruppen' ha 'länsats av

oss på alla pengarna', dvs av dem.

Då revision verkställdes, visade det sig att

ovannämnde Holm, samma dag som han efter

konstituerande styrelsemöte den 10 april 1974

icke längre var firmatecknare i vår förening,

hade överfört ('länsat') kontot på nästan alla

innestående medel och överfört dem till ... sitt

eget privata postigirokonto! ... Holm har vid

ett flertal tillfällen uppmanats återbetala

beloppet... Beloppet utgör 1,340.-'".

(translation)

"A fight about the cash account

...

On 4 June 1974 the majority phalanx reported Carl G. Holm

to the police. He was accused of having embezzled money

from the association's postal giro account:

'A common postal giro account, which our

association has together with our sister-branch

in Göteborg and in Malmö for our common

membership paper Opinion for freedom ... and for

which the above-mentioned Holm had the

subscription right together with two other

persons in Göteborg and Malmö respectively ...,

was in April said by representatives of the

above-mentioned 'secession group' to have been

'emptied of all the money', i.e. by them.

When an audit was carried out it appeared that

the above mentioned Holm, the same day as he,

after the inaugural committee meeting on

10 April 1974, no longer had the subscription

right in our association, had transferred

('emptied') from the account almost all the

deposited means and transferred them to ... his

own private postal giro account! ... Holm has on

several occasions been requested to repay the

amount... The amount is 1,340.-.'"

(Swedish)

(5) "Två aktivister inom Nordiska Rikspartiet blev dömda för

att de hade placerat ut granaterna. De hade fått båda

granaterna av den ovan nämnde P, som tillsammans med Carl

G. Holm och Géza Mólnár utgjorde styrelse i utbrytargruppen

'Stockholms Demokratiska Allians'. P hade också uppmanat

attentatsmännen att placera en av granaterna i Demokratisk

Allians lokal och upplyst om hur man kunde ta sig in där.

Både tingsrätten och hovrätten ansåg P vara skyldig till

'medhjälp till vållande av kroppsskada'.

Samarbetet mellan Holm, Mólnár och P upphörde inte efter

P's medverkan i attentatet. I augusti 1974 inkom till

länsstyrelsen i Stockholm en ansökan om registrering av

'föreningen Stockholms Demokratiska Allians'. På ansökan

återfanns namnunderskrifter från föreningens tre ordinarie

styrelseledamöter, dvs Holm, Mólnár och P. (Efter

hovrättens dom i oktober 1974 har P såvitt bekant inte

ägnat sig åt högerextremistisk eller annan politisk

aktivitet)."

(translation)

"Two activists within the Nordic National Party were

convicted of having placed the grenades. They had received

both the grenades from the above-mentioned P, who together

with Carl G. Holm and Géza Mólnár constituted the board in

the secession group 'the Stockholm Democratic Alliance'. P

had also urged the attackers to place one of the grenades

in the office of the Democratic Alliance and informed them

of how to get in there. Both the District Court and the

Court of Appeal considered P to be guilty of 'aiding in

causing bodily harm'.

The cooperation between Holm, Mólnár and P did not cease

after P's assistance in the above attempt. In August 1974

an application for registration of 'the Stockholm

Democratic Alliance' was submitted to the County Council of

Stockholm. Signatures of the association's three permanent

board members, i.e. Holm, Mólnár and P, were found in the

application. (After the judgment of the Court of Appeal in

October 1974 P has not, according to what is known, been

engaged in any right wing extremist or other political

activity.)"

(Swedish)

(6) "Tillsammans med två andra personer ur utbrytargruppen från

Demokratisk Allians, nämligen Géza Mólnár och Christer

Arkefors, bildade Holm i september 1974 Stiftelsen

Progressiv Information. Syftet var bl a att ge ut en

tidskrift. I början av nästa år utkom det första numret av

tidskriften Progressiv Information. Det inleddes med ett

helhjärtat och engagerat försvar för den militärkupp

varigenom Allenderegimen i Chile hade störtats."

(translation)

"Together with two other persons from the secession group

of the Democratic Alliance, namely Géza Mólnár and Christer

Arkefors, Holm established the Foundation Progressive

Information in September 1974. The aim was inter alia to

publish a review. In the beginning of the following year

the first copy of the review Progressive Information was

published. It began with a thorough and engaging defence of

the military coup d'état by which the regime of Allende in

Chile had been overthrown."

(Swedish)

(7) "Inom Moderata ungdomsförbundet var man irriterad över att

en person som man hade uteslutit för högeravvikelse hade

fått så stark ställning inom Industriförbundet och SAF.

Dessutom var man irriterad över att Contra skickade ut

material till ungmoderata distrikten med uppmaning om

ekonomiskt stöd.

Inom Moderata ungdomsförbundets Skånedistrikt upprättandes

en intern promemoria. Där riktades mycket allvarliga

anklagelser mot Contragruppen. Bl a hävdade man att Contra

i Malmö och Lund hade samarbete med Sveriges Nationella

Förbund (SNF). I standardverket om svensk nynazism,

Hans Lindquists bok 'Fascism i dag' (1979), beskrivs denna

grupp på följande sätt:

'SNF är sannolikt den starkaste fascistiska

rörelsen i Sverige med några hundratal medlemmar

och ett par tusen sympatisörer. Fria Ord

utkommer i ett par tusen exemplar. Rörelsen

fungerar som en träffpunkt för en rad

nynazister, rasister och högerextremister som

även är verksamma i rörelser och aktionsgrupper

vilka är formellt fristående från SNF. Vidare

finns en del överspända rojalister och

'gammalpatrioter' i leden. SNF spelar närmast

rollen av paraplyorganisation'.

Sedan detta skrevs har SNF försvagats av interna strider,

men beskrivningen stämmer väl in på situationen då

ungmoderaterna i Skåne skrev sin promemoria. En interiör

från SNFs Malmöavdelning år 1978 förmedlas av den

nazistiska tidningen Aktinform:

'Malmöavdelningen har vräkts från sin i andra

hand förhyrda lokal, eftersom husvärden råkade

upptäcka att lokalens dominerande dekoration var

ett stort porträtt av A. Hitler, som han -

värden - ogillade.'

30-novemberföreningen, som också nämns i promemorian,

beskrivs i Lindquists bok som 'ett tillhåll för nazister

och andra antidemokrater'.

...

I Malmö har Holm och Mólnár förhandlat med det nazistiska

Sveriges Nationella Förbund (SNF) om upprättande av en

lokal 'Contra'-grupp. Intresset från SNFs sida har varit

ganska svalt, huvudsakligen beroende på det pågående

inbördeskriget inom organisationen.

I Lund har stiftelsen intimt samarbete med 'Stiftelsen för

Mänskliga Rättigheter i Östeuropa', vilken är en ren

frontorganistion för SNF. Alla dess ledande personer

(Carl R. Sjöberg m fl) har nära förbindelser med SNF och

30-novemberföreningen."

(translation)

"There was irritation within the Conservative Youth

Organisation about the fact that a person who had been

expelled for right wing divergence had got such a powerful

position within the Federation of Industries and the

Swedish Employers' Federation. Furthermore there was

irritation about the fact that Contra sent out material to

the districts of young conservatives including an urge for

financial support.

An internal memorandum was drawn up within the Conservative

Youth Organisation, district of Skåne, ... In this

memorandum very serious accusations were directed against

the Contra group. It was claimed inter alia that Contra in

Malmö and Lund were collaborating with the Swedish National

Union (SNF). In the standard work on Swedish neo-nazism,

'Fascism today'(1979) by Hans Lindquist, this group is

described in the following manner:

'The SNF is probably the most powerful of the

fascist movements in Sweden, with a couple of

hundred members and a couple of thousand

sympathisers. The 'Free Words' is published in

a couple of thousand copies. The movement serves

as a meeting point for a number of neo-nazis,

racists and right wing extremists who are also

engaged in movements and action groups which are

formally separate from the SNF. Furthemore there

are some eccentric royalists and some 'old-

patriots' in the ranks. The SNF plays first of

all the role of an umbrella organistion.'

Since this was written the SNF has become weaker as a

result of internal fights, but the description corresponds

well to the situation prevailing when the young

conservatives in Skåne wrote their memorandum. An interior

of the SNF's office in Malmö in 1978 is described in the

nazi review Aktinform:

'The Malmö branch has been evicted from its

premises rented second-hand, as the landlord

happened to discover that the dominating

decoration on the premises was a big portrait of

A. Hitler, whom he - the landlord - disliked'.

The association of 30-November, which is also mentioned in

the memorandum is in Lindquist's book described as 'a hang

out for nazis and other anti-democrats'.

...

In Malmö Holm and Mólnár have negotiated with the nazi

oriented Swedish National Union (SNF) about setting up a

local 'Contra' group. The interest of the SNF has been

quite weak, mainly because of the ongoing internal war in

the organisation.

In Lund the foundation has intimate collaboration with the

'Foundation for human rights in Eastern Europe', which is

a pure front organisation of the SNF. All its leading

persons (Carl R Sjöberg and others) have close connections

with the SNF and the association of 30-November."

(Swedish)

(8) "Några veckor senare lämnade Holm ifrån sig det intyg som

han lovat ordna. ... Undertecknare var dels han själv, dels

Demokratisk Allians förre förbundsordförande, Jörgen Oom.

...

Demokratisk Allians förde vid denna tidpunkt en tynande

tillvaro, men reagerade ändå mycket starkt mot att Carl G.

Holm, som man ju hade uteslutit för högerextremism, ansåg

sig förfoga över föreningens egendom. Man tog kontakt med

Jörgen Oom, som då drog tillbaka sitt stöd till Holm. Oom

skrev det brev ... där han förklarar att han blivit

vilseförd av Holm.

I en skrivelse till patentverket skrev Demokratisk Allians:

'Enär Jörgen Oom i bilagda brev medger att han

förts bakom ljuset av en AB Timbro tydligen

närstående person, ber vi Eder således icke

fästa något avseende vid vad AB Timbro genom

sitt ombud anför beträffande Demokratisk

Allians.'

I samma brev begärde man att få tillbaka 'det

utgivningsbevis, som genom diverse skumma manipulationer

och bedrägliga förfaranden hamnat hos AB Timbro och deras

ombud'."

(translation)

"Some weeks later Holm handed over the certificate which he

had promised to provide. ... The signers of this

certificate were partly himself, partly the former chairman

of the Democratic Alliance, Jörgen Oom.

...

The Democratic Alliance was at this moment leading a

languishing life, but still reacted very strongly against

the fact that Carl G. Holm, whom it had expelled because of

right wing extremism, considered himself to be in control

of the association's property. Jörgen Oom was contacted,

and he then withdrew his support for Holm. Oom wrote the

letter ... in which he explains that he has been misled by

Holm.

In a letter to the National Patent and Registration Office

the Democratic Alliance wrote:

'Since Jörgen Oom admits in the enclosed letter

that he has been deceived by a person obviously

closely related to AB Timbro, we consequently

ask you not to pay any attention to what AB

Timbro states through its representative

concerning the Democratic Alliance.'

In the same letter the Democratic Alliance requested to get

back 'the authorisation to publish, which through various

shady transactions and fraudulent proceedings had ended up

with AB Timbro and their representives'."

(Swedish)

(9) "Fransmannen Patric Chairoff har skrivit en ytterst

intierad bok om nynazism, 'Dossier néo-nazisme', som utkom

1977. Författaren uppges bl a ha haft poliskällor till sitt

förfogande. Avsnittet om Sverige omfattar två trycksidor.

Nästan hela detta utrymme ägnas åt öppet nazistiska

grupper, främst Nordiska Rikspartiet. Därefter följer det

här korta stycket:

'Mycket mera klassiska eller modererade

organisationer som 'Frihetsforum', Christer

Arkefors' 'Contra' and Oskar Bengtssons 'För

Frihet' är infiltrerade ända upp till toppen av

nynazistiska grupper som där väljer ut de

hårdaste elementen och leder dem över i illegala

aktiviteter'.

Frihetsforum är i praktiken ett annat namn som

Contragruppen ibland väljer att verka genom. År 1978 sökte

och fick Frihetsforum bidrag från statliga Energispar-

kommittén för att översätta en amerikansk bok som är

positiv till kärnkraft. Ansökan var undertecknad av Carl G.

Holm och Géza Mólnár."

(translation)

"The Frenchman Patric Chairoff has written an extremely

well-informed book about neo-nazism, 'Dossier néo-nazisme',

which was published in 1977. The author is said inter alia

to have had sources from the police at his disposal. The

section concerning Sweden comprises two printed pages.

Almost the whole of this is devoted to open nazi groups, in

particular the Nordic National Party. Then, this short

passage follows:

'Much more classical or moderate organisations

like 'Liberty Forum', Christer Arkefors'

'Contra' and Oskar Bengtsson's 'For Freedom' are

to the very top infiltrated by neo-nazi groups

which there choose the hardest elements and lead

them to illegal activities.'

The Liberty Forum is in practice another name under which

the Contra group sometimes chooses to work. In 1978 the

Liberty Forum applied for and received a grant from the

governmental energy saving committee for the purpose of

translating an American book which is favourable to nuclear

power. The application was signed by Carl G. Holm and Géza

Mólnár."

(Swedish)

(10) "Den danska underrättelsetjänsten förnekade Hetlers

uppgifter, och han hade inte heller framlagt något bevis

för dem. Det är emellertid intressant att Contraredaktionen

beskrev hans tidskrift som 'Contras närmaste motsvarighet

i Danmark'. Som jämförelse kan man läsa vad Hans Lindquist

skriver i sin bok om nynazismen om denna danska tidskrift

och dess grundare:

'F d SS-medlemmen Mogens Frost-Hansen och

författaren Erik Haast utgav ett tag den

högerextremistiska tidningen 'Minut'. Numera

utger de 'Danske Tidende'. Erik Haast arbetar

för de danska samarbetsmännens upprättelse i

tidningen 'Ny Revision'. Haast har bl a

författat ett arbete i flera band om Freikorps

Danmarks historia. Freikorps Danmark var de

förbund av frivilliga danskar som tyskarna satte

in på ostfronten under kriget. Verket erhöll en

välvillig recension i svenska Aktinform, där man

framhöll som en särskild förtjänst att böckerna

'är skrivna utan alla krav på att vara

demokratiskt tvättade.'

Tidningen Minut utkommer på nytt sedan hösten 1978, med

Hans Hetler som chefredaktör."

(translation)

"The Danish intelligence service denied Hetler's statements

and he had not submitted any proofs for them either. It is

however interesting that the editors of the Contra group

described his review as 'Contra's closest counterpart in

Denmark'. As a comparison one can read what Hans Lindquist

writes in his book about neo-nazism, about this Danish

review and its founders:

'The former SS-member Mogens Frost-Hansen and

the author Erik Haast published for a while the

right wing extremist review 'Minute'. Now they

publish the 'Danish News'. Erik Haast works for

obtaining redress for the Danish collaborators

in the review 'New Revision'. Haast has inter

alia composed a work of several volumes about

the history of Freikorps Danmark. Freikorps

Danmark was the alliance composed of Danish

volunteers which the Germans brought into action

on the eastern front during the war. The work

received a benevolent review in the Swedish

Aktinform, in which it was pointed out as a

special merit that the books 'are written

without any requirements of being democratically

washed'.

The review Minute is published again since 1978, with Hans

Hetler as chief editor."

21. The applicant considered that the above remarks falsely indicated

that he belonged to certain undemocratic nazi and fascist groups and

were aimed at casting doubts on his honour and at exposing him to the

contempt of others. On this basis he instituted libel proceedings

against the author Sven-Ove Hansson and the editor Tidens Bokförlag AB.

22. The case as it stood before the District Court was to be adjudged

in accordance with the FPA and as the defendants so requested a jury

had to be selected.

23. On 10 November 1986 a court session was held in order to select

the jury from the following two lists of jurors which had been

established for the period 1 January 1986 to 31 December 1989 and

published by the Stockholm County Council (Stockholms läns landsting):

first group:

1. C Stjernberg, Gustaf

2. FP Hallerby, Nils

3. FP Elfving, Ulf

4. M Pålfeldt, Kaisa

5. M Lienhart, Gert

6. M Leijonberg, Bo

7. M Kockum, Peter

8. M Eriksson, Johan

9. S Hjälm, Karl Bertil

10. S Haste, Hans

11. S Käll, Ullabella

12. S Ärlemalm, Inger

13. S Jönsson, Birgitta

14. S Wahrenberg, Birgit

15. S Nyman, Kai

16. VPK Francke, Per

second group:

1. FP Lindqvist, Ingmar

2. FP Nyström, Gun

3. M Selberg, Bengt

4. M Risberg, Ulf

5. S Gagnegårdh, Ragnar

6. S Bergkvist, Gunde

7. S Irsten, Bo

8. S Dahlbäck, Sven Örjan

24. The applicant immediately requested the Court to reject all those

jurors who were members of the SAP maintaining that Tidens Bokförlag

AB was closely associated with the SAP. He referred to Chapter 4,

Section 13, point 9 of the Code of Judicial Procedure (rättegångs-

balken) which provides that a judge shall be disqualified from

examining a case if particular circumstances exist which are likely to

undermine the confidence in his impartiality in the case. In its

decision rejecting the applicant's request the District Court stated:

(Swedish)

"Som grund för sin jävsinvändning har käranden åberopat

dels ägareförhållandet bakom Tidens Förlag AB (i målet är

mellan parterna ostridigt att Tidens Förlag AB är helägt av

ARE-bolaget, som i sin tur ägs inom arbetarrörelsen), dels

att förlaget utgör språkrör för den socialdemokratiska

rörelsen.

Förlaget har bestritt att åberopade omständigheter utgör

påstått jäv. Förlaget har dessutom bestritt att förlaget

utgör språkrör som påståtts.

Oavsett om förlaget har karaktär av språkrör i påstått

hänseende utgör vad som åberopats enligt tingsrättens

bedömande inte jäv för de jurymän som invändningen avser."

(translation)

"As reason for the request for disqualification (the

applicant) has referred to the ownership situation of

Tidens Förlag AB (in the case it is undisputed that Tidens

Förlag AB is owned completely by the ARE company which

again is owned by the labour movement) and that the company

is the 'mouthpiece' of the social democratic movement.

The company has disputed that these circumstances

constitute a ground for disqualification as alleged. The

company has furthermore denied that it is a 'mouthpiece' as

alleged.

Regardless of whether the company can be considered as a

'mouthpiece' as alleged, the District Court finds that the

reasons invoked do not amount to disqualifying

circumstances for the jurors concerned."

25. The Court then proceeded with the election of the jury for the

case in accordance with the provisions of the FPA. First the applicant

excluded the jurors nos. 9, 10 and 13 of the first group and no. 5 of

the second group. The defendants excluded the jurors nos. 5, 7 and 8

of the first group and no. 3 of the second group. Then the Court, by

drawing lots, appointed the jurors nos. 1, 3, 4 and 14 from the first

group and nos. 1, 2 and 7 from the second group as substitute jurors

to the effect that the jury thus consisted of the jurors nos. 2, 6, 11,

12, 15 and 16 of the first group and nos. 4, 6 and 8 of the second

group. Juror no. 6 of the second group was later replaced by the

substitute juror no. 7 of the same group.

26. As regards membership of political parties the jury accordingly

consisted of 5 members of the SAP (Social Democratic Party), 2 members

of the Moderata Samlingspartiet (Conservative Party), 1 member of the

Folkpartiet (Liberal Party)and 1 member of the Vänsterpartiet

Kommunisterna (Communist Party).

27. As regards the 5 members of the SAP the applicant has submitted

the following information which has not been disputed by the

Government.

First group:

Juror no. 11, Ullabella Käll, has been active in the SAP in

Huddinge. She held several public offices and offices within the SAP

in Huddinge. When she later moved to Österåker she also had several

public and party offices. She was a SAP member of the Österåker Local

Council (kommunfullmäktige) and the Board of Österåker Local

Administration (kommunstyrelse). She was also chairman of the SAP of

Österåker (Österåkers Arbetarekommun). She had all these three offices

when she was first elected a juror by the Stockholm County Council. She

is an employee of the school (folkhögskola) of PRO-Pensionärernas

Riksorganisation (Retired People's National Association).

Juror no. 12, Inger Ärlemalm, has been a SAP member of the City

Council of Järfälla and a SAP member of the Stockholm County Council.

She was chairman of the SAP's Women's Organisation, the County of

Stockholm district (Socialdemokratiska kvinnoförbundets länsdistrikt)

until March 1988 which includes the period when she served as a juror.

Juror no. 15, Kai Nyman, is a SAP deputy member of the City

Council of Nacka. He is also a member of the Board for Social Affairs

of the City of Nacka (socialnämnden) and deputy chairman of a Community

Board for Social Affairs within the Municipality of Nacka (social

distriktsnämnd). He was a member of the executive committee of the SAP

of Nacka (Nacka Arbetarekommun) between 1980 and 1985 and has been a

member of the board of a community association of the SAP in Nacka

between 1971 and 1980. Mr. Nyman has also been an employee at the

administrative office of the SAP in the County of Stockholm.

Second group:

Juror no. 7, Bo Irsten, is a deputy member of the board of

directors of Sankt Eriks folkhögskola, a school owned by the City of

Stockholm. This is a political office and he is representing the SAP.

He is a member of the board of the Aspudden community association of

the Social Democratic Party (stadsdelsförening). He is also a member

of the board and treasurer of the Southwestern Stockholm District

Organisation of the SAP. He represents the SAP in several taxation

boards (taxeringsnämnder) within the City of Stockholm.

Juror no. 8, Sven Örjan Dahlbäck, has been a member of the board

of a community association of the SAP in Nacka. He has also been a

representative of the SAP in the Board for Leisure Activities

(fritidsnämnden) in the Municipality of Nacka. He has since resigned

from his above offices but remains an active member of the Social

Democratic Party.

28. On 24 November 1986 the applicant appealed to the Svea Court of

Appeal (Svea hovrätt) against the above decision not to reject those

jurors who were members of the SAP. He referred in particular to the

fact that the ARE company owned all shares in Tidens Bokförlag AB and

that the SAP owned 85% of the shares in ARE. He also referred to the

political contents of the book in question and maintained that the case

had political undertones for which reason jurors who were members of

the SAP should not be allowed to participate.

29. On 4 December 1986 the Court of Appeal rejected the applicant's

appeal. The Court did not state any reasons. A further appeal against

this decision was not open to the applicant.

30. On 14 October 1987 the merits of the applicant's lawsuit were

examined by the District Court of Stockholm sitting with the above jury

of 9 members. By judgment of the same day the applicant's private

prosecution as well as his claim for damages were rejected and costs

amounting to a total of 67,860 Swedish crowns were awarded against him.

The judgment reads as follows:

(Swedish)

"Holm har yrkat ansvar å Hansson i första hand jämlikt

7 kap 4 § 9 p tryckfrihetsförordningen och 5 kap 2 §

brottsbalken för otillåtet yttrande i tryckt skrift

innefattande grovt förtal och i andra hand jämlikt samma

lagrum i tryckfrihetsförordningen och 5 kap 1 §

brottsbalken för otillåtet yttrande i tryckt skrift

innefattande förtal. Holm har därvid anfört: Tio olika

avsnitt i boken är ägnade att utsätta Holm för andras

missaktning. Vart och ett av dessa avsnitt utgör ett

förtalsbrott. Brotten är grova eftersom boken har spritts

till en vid krets av personer och eftersom Holm när boken

utgavs innehade en central befattning i Sveriges

Industriförbund.

Holm har för honom åsamkat lidande yrkat skadestånd av

Hansson och Bokförlagsaktiebolaget Tiden med 200 000 kr.

Hansson har förnekat brott. Hansson och Bokförlags-

aktiebolaget Tiden har bestritt skadeståndsskyldighet. De

har anfört: Inget av avsnitten är ägnat att utsätta Holm

för andras missaktning. I vart fall har varje avsnitt varit

försvarligt med hänsyn till Hanssons syfte med boken.

Uppgifterna är dessutom sanna. Om så inte skulle anses vara

fallet har Hansson i vart fall haft skälig grund för dem.

Holm har genom uppgifterna inte tillfogats lidande. Som i

och för sig skäligt skadestånd vitsordas 3 000 kr.

Domskäl

Den i målet utsedda juryn har nekande besvarat till juryn

framställda frågor angående brottsligheten i de påtalade

bokavsnitten.

Holms talan skall följaktligen lämnas utan bifall i såväl

ansvarsdelen som skadeståndsdelen."

(translation)

"Holm has demanded that Hansson, in the first place, be

held responsible for inadmissible expression in a printed

document comprising aggravated libel according to the FPA

Chapter 7, Section 4, subsection 9, and the Penal Code

Chapter 5, Section 2, and, in the alternative, for

inadmissible expression in a printed document comprising

libel according to the same provisions of the FPA and

Chapter 5, Section 1, of the Penal Code. Holm has in this

connection submitted: Ten different passages of the book

are such as to expose Holm to the contempt of others. Each

of these sections constitutes libel. The offence is

aggravated since the book has been distributed to a wide

circle of persons and since Holm, when the book was

published, held a central position at the Swedish

Federation of Industries.

Holm has, as compensation for his suffering, claimed

damages from Hansson and Tidens Bokförlag AB amounting to

200,000 Swedish crowns.

Hansson has denied having committed any offence. Hansson

and Tidens Bokförlag AB have denied liability for damages.

They have stated: None of the passages are such as to

expose Holm to the contempt of others. In any case every

passage has been justifiable in view of Hansson's aim with

the book. The statements are moreover true. Should this not

be the case Hansson has, in any event, had a reasonable

ground for them. The statements have not caused any

suffering. As to the amount of damages in this case 3,000

Swedish crowns is accepted as in itself reasonable.

Reasons for the judgment

The appointed jury in this case has answered in the

negative the questions put to it concerning the illegality

of the criticised passages.

Holm's claim is accordingly to be rejected as regards both

criminal responsibility and damages."

31. As the Court found in favour of the defendants there was no

appeal against the judgment on the merits open to the applicant.

B. Relevant domestic law and practice

The Freedom of the Press Act

32. Issues relating to freedom of expression in print are regulated

in the FPA. This Act is one of three fundamental laws that form the

Swedish Constitution. The fundamental laws differ from ordinary laws

in that they can only be adopted or amended by means of two decisions

by the Swedish Parliament. The decisions have to be of identical

wording. The second decision may not be taken until elections for

Parliament have been held and the newly-elected Parliament has been

convened.

33. In 1766 Sweden received its first Freedom of the Press Act which

had the character of a fundamental law. The present Freedom of the

Press Act was adopted in 1949.

34. According to the FPA, the protection of the printed word rests

on a number of basic principles. First, the FPA provides protection

against actions by the authorities to raise obstacles to the printing,

publication, or dissemination of printed matter (Chapter 1, Section 2).

Secondly, the freedom to establish new enterprises for printing,

distribution, etc. is guaranteed (Chapter 4, Section 1). Furthermore,

any Swedish subject or any Swedish legal person shall have the right

to sell, dispatch, or otherwise disseminate printed matter, either

alone or with the assistance of others (Chapter 6, Section 1).

35. In cases concerning the freedom of the press the District Courts

are composed of three legally trained judges and of a jury, unless both

parties agree to refer the case to the Court for decision without a

jury. The hearing is chaired by one of the legally trained judges who

acts as the president of the Court. In the Swedish legal system

participation of a jury occurs only in trials concerning the freedom

of the press. Lay judges may, however, participate in other cases.

Unlike in ordinary court proceedings in which lay judges participate,

the task of the jury is limited to examining the question whether a

criminal offence has been committed. It has no influence on the penal

sanctions to be imposed or on the amount of damages. These questions

are decided by the professional judges.

36. Chapter 12 of the FPA provides special court procedures in cases

concerning infringements of the Act. The relevant parts of this Chapter

read as follows:

(Swedish)

"Om rättegången i tryckfrihetsmål

1 § Tryckfrihetsmål upptagas av tingsrätt inom vars

domkrets länsstyrelse har sitt säte. Förekommer anledning

att även annan tingsrätt inom länet skall äga upptaga

tryckfrihetsmål, äger regeringen förordna därom.

Till tryckfrihetsmål hänföras mål angående ansvar eller

enskilt anspråk på grund av tryckfrihetsbrott så ock

ansökningsmål, som avses i 9 kap. 5 §. Till tryckfrihetsmål

hänföras även mål angående ansvar eller enskilt anspråk på

grund av brott enligt 7 kap. 3 §. Är fråga om brott enligt

sistnämnda paragrafs andra stycke och har den som anskaffat

uppgiften eller underrättelsen ej offentliggjort denna i

tryckt skrift eller meddelat den till annan för sådant

offentliggörande, skall dock målet handläggas som

tryckfrihetsmål endast om det är uppenbart att anskaffandet

skett för offentliggörande i tryckt skrift.

2 § I tryckfrihetsmål, vari talan föres om ansvar, skall

frågan, huruvida brott föreligger, prövas av en jury om nio

medlemmar, såframt ej parterna å ömse sidor förklara sig

vilja utan sådan prövning hänskjuta målet till rättens

avgörande. Frågan, huruvida den tilltalade enligt 8 kap. är

ansvarig för skrift, prövas dock alltid enbart av rätten.

Då jury prövar, huruvida brott föreligger, skall så anses

vara fallet, om minst sex jurymän äro ense därom.

Finner juryn att brott icke föreligger, skall den

tilltalade frikännas. Har juryn funnit brott föreligga,

skall även rätten pröva frågan härom. Är rätten av annan

mening än juryn, äge rätten frikänna den tilltalade eller

hänföra brottet under mildare straffbestämmelse än den som

juryn tillämpat. Högre rätt, dit talan mot tingsrättens dom

fullföljts, äge ej i vidare mån än tingsrätten frångå

juryns bedömning.

3 § För varje län skall utses jurymän, fördelade i två

grupper med sexton jurymän i första gruppen och åtta

jurymän i andra gruppen. Jurymännen i den andra gruppen

skall vara eller ha varit nämndemän vid allmän domstol

eller allmän förvaltningsdomstol.

4 § Jurymännen utses genom val för en tid av fyra

kalenderår.

Valet skall förrättas av landstinget i länet eller, då inom

länet finnes kommun som ej tillhör landstingskommun, av

landstinget och kommunfullmäktige i förstnämnda kommun. I

Gotlands län förrättas valet av kommunfullmäktige i

Gotlands kommun. Skola enligt vad nu sagts jurymännen

väljas av mer än en valmyndighet, fördelar länsstyrelsen

antal jurymän inom vardera gruppen mellan valmyndigheterna

med ledning av folkmängden.

Då juryman skall väljas, ankomme på tingsrätten att göra

anmälan därom till den som har att föranstalta om valet.

5 § Till jurymän skola utses svenska medborgare, som äro

bosatta inom länet. De bör vara kända för omdömesgillhet,

självständighet och rättrådighet. Bland jurymännen bör

skilda samhällsgrupper och meningsriktningar samt olika

delar av länet vara företrädda. Den som är underårig eller

som har förvaltare enligt särskilda bestämmelser i lag får

inte vara juryman.

6 § Juryman, som fyllt sextio år, äge avsäga sig

uppdraget. Vill juryman eljest avgå, pröve tingsrätten, om

giltigt hinder föreligger för honom att utöva uppdraget.

Upphör juryman att vara valbar, vare uppdraget förfallet.

7 § Avgår juryman eller upphör han att vara valbar, skall

inom den grupp av jurymän, som den avgångne tillhörde,

valmyndigheten utse annan i hans ställe för återstoden av

valperioden. Valet må i landstingets ställe företagas av

dess förvaltningsutskott; dock gälle sådant val allenast

för tiden intill landstingets nästkommande möte.

8 § Klagan över val av juryman skall föras hos tings-

rätten. Ehuru klagan ej föres, pröve rätten den valdes

behörighet.

Beträffande fullföljd av talan mot tingsrätts beslut i

fråga, som avses i första stycket, gälle vad i lag är

stadgat om fullföljd av talan mot underrätts beslut i

rättegång. Mot hovrätts beslut må talan ej föras.

Föres klagan, lände valet dock till efterrättelse, om ej

rätten förordnar annat.

9 § De som äro utsedda till jurymän skola uppföras å en

jurymannalista. I denna skall varje grupp upptagas

särskilt.

10 § Då mål vari jury skall deltaga förekommer, skall

rätten föredraga jurymannalistan samt till behandling

upptaga frågan, huruvida jäv föreligger mot någon som

finnes upptagen å listan. Angående jäv mot juryman gälle

vad i lag är stadgat om domare.

Därefter skall juryn bildas av de ojäviga jurymännen

sålunda att vardera parten äger utesluta tre jurymän inom

den första gruppen och en inom den andra samt rätten genom

lottning bland de övriga uttager så många till suppleanter

att sex kvarstå i den första gruppen och tre i den andra.

...

12 § Ej må någon utan laga förfall undandraga sig att

tjänstgöra i jury.

Kan på grund av jäv eller laga förfall för juryman nödigt

antal ledamöter i någon grupp ej erhållas, nämne rätten för

varje juryman som erfordras tre till jurymän inom gruppen

behöriga personer. Av de sålunda nämnda äge vardera parten

utesluta en. Ej må till juryman nämnas någon som förut i

samma mål uteslutits.

...

14 § Föres i mål om ansvar jämväl talan om enskilt anspråk

mot annan än den tilltalade, skola de åtgärder av svarande-

part, som avses i 2 § första stycket, 10 § andra stycket

och 12 § andra stycket, ankomma på den tilltalade.

Då talan utan samband med åtal föres om tryckt skrifts

konfiskering eller om enskilt anspråk gälle om rättegången

i sådant mål vad i 2 och 10 - 13 §§ är föreskrivet: har

frågan huruvida brott föreligger tidigare prövats i

tryckfrihetsmål avseende ansvar för brott, skall dock

prövning av samma fråga ej ånyo äga rum. I ansökningsmål

skall den uteslutning av jurymän, som eljest ankommer på

parterna, företagas av rätten genom lottning.

..."

(translation)

"On legal proceedings in actions in freedom of the press

cases

Section 1. Actions concerning the freedom of the press

are heard by the district court within whose jurisdiction

the county administration has its seat. If any reason

prompts the designation of another district court within

the county to hear actions concerning the freedom of the

press, the Government may issue an order to that effect.

Actions concerning the freedom of the press are actions

concerning civil or criminal liability for offences against

the freedom of the press, and applications under Chapter 9,

Section 5. Actions concerning the freedom of the press

shall also include actions concerning civil or criminal

liability for offences under Chapter 7, Section 3. In case

of an offence under the second paragraph of the last-

mentioned Section, however, and if the person who procured

the information has not caused it to be published in print

and has not communicated it to another person for the

purpose of such publication, the case shall be dealt with

as an action concerning the freedom of the press only if it

is manifestlty evident that the information was procured

for the purpose of publication in printed matter.

Section 2. In actions under penal law concerning the

freedom of the press the question of whether a criminal

offence has been committed shall be examined by a jury of

nine members, unless both parties declare themselves

willing to refer the case to the court for decision without

a jury. However, the question of whether the defendant is

the person responsible for the publication concerned under

the provisions of Chapter 8 shall always be examined by the

court sitting alone. Whenever the question of whether a

criminal offence has been committed is examined by a jury,

the answer shall be considered to be in the affirmative if

a least six members of the jury concur in that opinion.

If the jury finds no criminal offence has been committed,

the defendant shall be acquitted. If the jury finds that a

criminal offence has been committed, the question is also

considered by the court. If the opinion of the court

differs from that of the jury, the court is entitled to

acquit the defendant or to apply a penal provision imposing

a milder sanction than that applied by the jury. If an

appeal is lodged against the judgment of the district

court, the court seized with the appeal is not entitled to

depart further than the district court from the judgment

passed by the jury.

Section 3. Jurors shall be appointed for each county and

shall be divided into two groups with 16 jurors in the

first group and 8 in the second group. The jurors in the

second group must be currently or have been previously lay

members of a court of general jurisdiction or an

administrative court.

Section 4. Jurors are appointed for a term of four

calendar years.

The jurors are elected in each county by the county

council, or where there is a municipality in the county

which does not come under any county council, jointly by

the county council and the council of the afore-mentioned

municipality. In the county of Gotland jurors are elected

by the council of the Gotland municipality. If jurors are

to be elected by more than one electoral body pursuant to

the foregoing, the number of jurors in each group shall be

divided between the electoral bodies by the county

administration in proportion to the population.

When jurors are due to be elected it shall be incumbent

upon the district court to give notice to this effect to

the authority responsible for arranging the election.

Section 5. Jurors shall be selected from among Swedish

citizens resident in the county for which they are to be

appointed. They should be known for their soundness of

judgment, independence and fair-mindedness. Different

social groups and currents of opinion and various parts of

the county should be represented among the jurors. A person

who is under age or who has an administrator appointed

under special provisions of law may not act as a juror.

Section 6. Any juror who has attained the age of sixty

years shall be entitled to resign his mandate. If a juror

wishes to retire in any other circumstances, the district

court is to consider whether valid grounds exist which

prevent him from carrying out his duties. If a juror ceases

to be eligible, his mandate ceases to be valid.

Section 7. If a juror retires or ceases to be eligible,

the electoral body shall appoint another person from the

group of jurors to which he belonged to take his place for

the remainder of the electoral period. Such a juror may be

appointed by the executive committee of the county council

on the county council's behalf, but an election of this

nature is valid only until the next session of the county

council.

Section 8. Complaints concerning the election of jurors

are lodged with the district court. Even if no complaint

has been lodged, the court shall examine the qualifications

of those who have been elected.

The statutory provisions concerning appeals against the

decisions of a district court in legal proceedings apply

also to appeals against the decision of a district court on

a question under the preceding paragraph. There is no

appeal against the decision of the court of appeal.

Even if a complaint is lodged, the election is valid unless

the court rules otherwise.

Section 9. Persons appointed to serve as jurors shall be

entered on a jurors' list in which each group is listed

separately.

Section 10. When legal proceedings have been initiated in

which a jury will participate, the court shall present the

jurors' list and raise the question whether there are

grounds for disqualifying any of the persons included in

the list. The statutory provisions relating to the

disqualification of judges shall apply.

The jury is then drawn from undisqualified jurors in the

following manner: each party has the right to exclude three

jurors in the first group and one in the second, and the

court selects substitutes by lot thereafter from among

those remaining, until six jurors are left in the first

group and three in the second.

...

Section 12. No person may avoid jury service without legal

cause.

If the number of members required in a group cannot be made

up because of disqualification or legal excuse, the court

nominates three persons eligible to be jurors in that group

for each juror required. Each party has the right to

exclude one of the persons so named. No person shall be

nominated as a juror who has already been excluded in the

same proceedings.

...

Section 14. If in legal proceedings under penal law an

action also for civil liability is brought against a person

other than the accused, the steps to be taken by a

defendant under Section 2, first paragraph, Section 10,

second paragraph, and Section 12, second paragraph devolve

upon the accused.

If an action is brought which is not connected with a

criminal prosecution but concerns the confiscation of

printed matter or is an action under civil liability law,

the provisions of Section 2 and of Sections 10-13 shall

apply; if, however, the question whether a criminal offence

has been committed has already been considered in a case

concerning the freedom of the press and concerning criminal

liability, the question whether a criminal offence has been

committed shall not be reconsidered. In an application

case, the exclusion of jurors, which is otherwise the

prerogative of the parties, is made by the court by lot.

..."

Other legislation

37. According to Section 5 of the 1949 Act on Certain Provisions

concerning the Proceedings in Freedom of the Press Cases (lagen

(1949:164) med vissa bestämmelser om rättegången i tryckfrihetsmål),

the members of the jury have to take the following oath before

participating in the trial:

(Swedish)

"Jag N.N. lovar och försäkrar på heder och samvete, att jag

såsom ledamot i denna jury efter bästa förstånd skall

besvara de frågor som av rätten framställas och i

obrottslig tystnad hålla såväl vad under juryns

överläggningar yttras som huru de särskilda medlemmarna

rösta. Detta vill och skall jag som en ärlig och uppriktig

domare troget hålla."

(translation)

"I N.N. do solemnly swear and assure on my faith and honour

that I, as a member of this jury, shall, to the best of my

ability, answer the questions posed by the court and keep

in absolute secrecy what is uttered during the

deliberations of the jury and how the jurors vote. This,

as an honest and upright judge, I will and shall faithfully

observe."

38. The provisions relating to the disqualification of judges apply

also to the disqualification from a certain trial of any person

included in the list of jurors (FPA, Chapter 12, Section 10). The

grounds for disqualification of judges are enumerated in the Code of

Judicial Procedure, Chapter 4, Section 13, which reads:

(Swedish)

"Domare är jävig att handlägga mål:

1. Om han själv är part eller eljest har del i saken

eller av dess utgång kan vänta synnerlig nytta eller skada;

2. om han med part är eller varit gift eller är i rätt

upp- eller nedstigande släktskap eller svågerlag eller är

syskon eller är i det svågerlag, att den ene är eller varit

gift med den andres syskon, eller om han på liknande sätt

är part närstående;

3. om han till någon, som har del i saken eller av dess

utgång kan vänta synnerlig nytta eller skada, står i

förhållande, som avses i 2;

4. om han eller någon honom närstående, som avses i 2, är

förmyndare, god man eller förvaltare för part eller eljest

parts ställföreträdare eller är ledamot av styrelsen för

bolag, förening eller annat samfund, stiftelse eller annan

sådan inrättning, som är part, eller, då kommun eller annan

sådan menighet är part, är ledamot av nämnd eller styrelse,

som handhar förvaltningen av den angelägenhet målet rör;

5. om han eller någon honom närstående, som sägs i 2,

till någon, som har del i saken eller av dess utgång kan

vänta synnerlig nytta eller skada, står i förhållande, som

avses i 4;

6. om han är parts vederdeloman, dock ej om parten sökt

sak med honom för att göra honom jävig;

7. om han i annan rätt såsom domare eller

befattningshavare fattat beslut, som rör saken, eller hos

annan myndighet än domstol eller såsom skiljeman tagit

befattning därmed;

8. om han i saken såsom rättegångsombud fört parts talan

eller biträtt part eller vittnat eller varit sakkunnig;

eller

9. om eljest särskild omständighet föreligger, som är

ägnad att rubba förtroendet till hans opartiskhet i målet."

(translation)

"A judge shall be disqualified from examining a case:

1. If he is a party therein or otherwise has an interest

in its subject-matter or can expect special advantage or

damage from the outcome of the action;

2. if he and one of the parties are, or have been,

married, or are related by blood or marriage in lineal

ascent or descent, or are brothers or sisters, or are in

such a relationship by marriage that one of them is, or has

been, married to a brother or sister of the other, or if he

is similarly related to one of the parties;

3. if he is related as specified in 2. to anyone who has

an interest in the subject-matter or can expect special

advantage or damage from the outcome of the case;

4. if he, or anyone related to him as specified in 2., is

a guardian of, or otherwise serves as a representative of,

a party, or is a member of the board of a corporation,

partnership, co-operative, association or similar society,

foundation or similar institution, which is a party, or,

when a municipality or similar community is a party, if he

is a member of the board in charge or administration of the

subject area within which the case falls;

5. if he, or anyone related to him as specified in 2., is

related in the way stated in 4. to anyone who has an

interest in the subject-matter or can expect special

advantage or damage from the outcome of the case;

6. if he is the adversary of a party, though not if the

party has cast him in that role in order to disqualify him;

7. if he, acting as a judge or officer of another court,

has rendered a decision concerning the matter in dispute,

or if he, at an authority other than a court, or as an

arbitrator, has dealt with the matter;

8. if he has served in the case as an attorney for, or an

assistant to, one of the parties, or has been a witness or

an expert therein; or

9. if some other particular circumstance exists which is

likely to undermine confidence in his impartiality in the

case."

Duties or allegiances towards political parties

39. Duties and allegiances, if any, which members of political

parties in Sweden are expected to comply with may be found primarily

in the statutes of those parties. The parties appear to expect their

members to support their general object and purpose and the statutes

may contain rules concerning the exclusion from the party. In

Section 13 of the SAP general statutes it is stated that a member of

the party may be excluded if he/she is disloyal to the party, makes

propaganda which is evidently in conflict with the party's general

object and purpose or is in other ways detrimental to the party. As

regards its candidates for public office the SAP requires that they

must, through their office, contribute to the implementation of the

party's programme. Similar rules may be found in other parties'

statutes. None of the statutes available to the Commission contain

rules concerning party members' duties in their function as lay judges

or jurors. According to the information available it appears that all

parties consider their members' tasks in this respect to be separate

from their role as party member and expect that they perform their

duties with the impartiality and independence which is expected from

any judge.

III. OPINION OF THE COMMISSION

A. Complaint declared admissible

40. The Commission declared admissible the applicant's complaint that

the case, brought by him against the author of a book and the

publisher, was not determined by an independent and impartial tribunal.

B. Point at issue

41. The issue to be determined is whether there has been a violation

of Article 6 para. 1 (Art. 6-1) of the Convention.

C. Article 6 para. 1 (Art. 6-1) of the Convention

42. Article 6 para. 1 (Art. 6-1) of the Convention reads in its

relevant part as follows:

"In the determination of his civil rights and obligations

or of any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled

to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an

independent and impartial tribunal established by law."

a) applicability of Article 6 (Art. 6) of the Convention

43. It is not contested that the dispute which the applicant brought

before the District Court of Stockholm related to his "civil rights"

and that accordingly Article 6 (Art. 6) of the Convention was

applicable to these proceedings. The applicant was thus entitled to a

procedure which satisfied the conditions of this provision.

b) independent and impartial tribunal

44. Having regard to the complaint declared admissible the Commission

must examine whether the applicant's case was heard by an independent

and impartial tribunal.

45. The Government submit that the Freedom of the Press Act

(tryckfrihetsförordningen) is primarily aimed at protecting the freedom

of expression and it is a long-standing tradition in Sweden that it is

difficult to be successful when challenging the exercise of this

freedom. Due regard ought to be taken of Sweden's legal tradition in

this kind of cases and the assessment of whether there is a legitimate

fear of partiality must primarily be looked upon with this in mind. The

Swedish system has not given rise to any serious doubts in Sweden with

respect to the confidence of the general public in the courts. The

presence of jurors in trials concerning the freedom of the press is

motivated by the common interest of a popular participation in the

administration of justice in such cases. The purpose is to make sure

that considerations in such cases have a sufficiently wide general

background in order to secure that the freedom of the press is not too

narrowly defined.

46. The Government also stress that the independence of the courts

is safeguarded by the Instrument of Government itself and this applies

as well to the functions of a jury in cases concerning freedom of the

press and freedom of expression.

47. The basic idea of the Swedish system is that any lay assessor or

juror, like professional judges, shall disregard his political views

or sympathies, reardless of whether or not he is affiliated to a

political party, when performing his duty as a judge. The law treats

all judges in the same way which is illustrated by the fact that the

same rules on disqualification of judges apply to professional judges

and to lay assessors, including jurors.

48. As regards the independence and impartiality of the District

Court in the present case the Government stress that it has not been

established that the jurors whom the applicant opposed had any

influence over the defendant company or any direct interest in it. Nor

has it been established that they had any particular relation to the

defendant Hansson or to the company owning shares in the defendant

company. There are accordingly no such links in the present case as

were established in the Langborger case (Eur. Court H.R., Langborger

judgment of 22 June 1989, Series A no. 155). Furthermore, no evidence

has been presented in support of an allegation that the jurors'

membership of the SAP in any way influenced them in performing their

duty as members of the jury.

49. The Government conclude that neither from a subjective nor from

an objective view was there any legitimate reason to fear that the

District Court of Stockholm sitting with a jury was either partial or

dependent in a way contrary to Article 6 para. 1 (Art. 6-1) of the

Convention.

50. The applicant acknowledges that the FPA does not per se state

that jurors must be members of a political party. They are, however,

elected by political bodies and no juror in all of Sweden has,

according to the applicant, been elected without, as in the present

case, being a member of a political party. Thus all jurors, when

elected, clearly represent a political party. In the present case the

applicant did not challenge the jurors because of their political

opinion, but due to the fact that they were members of the SAP, that

all held or had held public offices, being elected as representatives

of the SAP, and since they all had had positions as elected officials

within the party. Furthermore, the case was directed against a company

which was a subsidiary of a company owned by the SAP and against the

employee of the defendant company. This discloses an unacceptable link

between the jurors and the defendants. The interest of the jurors

concerned was that they, as active SAP members, were to decide whether

a political book, written by someone whom they recognised as being

within the party, contained libel.

51. According to the applicant it is against this background that the

subjective and objective test of impartiality should be applied. The

subjective test, however, is not practicable in the present case as

only the jurors were present during their deliberations and since they

did not have to indicate in what way votes were cast or state any

reasons whatsoever for the verdict reached. From an objective point of

view justice was, however, not seen to be done. There was an obvious

risk that the jurors, who were members of the SAP, had an interest in

seeing Mr. Hansson and the defendant company acquitted due to the

strong political connections mentioned above. This could not inspire

the applicant with confidence concerning the possibility of the court

being able to judge the case impartially. Having regard to this and to

the fact that the right to an impartial court is a principle of such

fundamental importance that a restrictive interpretation of Article 6

(Art. 6) of the Convention would not correspond to its aim and purpose,

the applicant submits that this provision has been breached.

52. The Commission recalls that the present case raises the question

whether the applicant's case was heard by an independent and impartial

tribunal. The Government, in particular, have stressed the historic

background and legal tradition which have led Sweden to introduce and

accept a jury trial system in cases concerning the freedom of the press

with all its consequences. Without losing sight of these general

aspects the Commission recalls, however, that its task is not to review

the relevant domestic law and practice in abstracto, but to determine

whether the manner in which it was applied to or affected the applicant

gave rise to a violation of Article 6 para. 1 (Art. 6-1) of the

Convention (cf. for example Eur. Court H.R., Hauschildt judgment of

24 May 1989, Series A no. 154, p. 21, para. 45).

53. The Commission notes first of all that the independence and

impartiality of the professional judges of the District Court of

Stockholm are not at issue, but it remains to be examined whether the

jury, which in reality decided the case as a first and final judicial

body, complied with these requirements.

54. In determining whether a body can be considered to be an

independent tribunal, i.e. in particular independent of the executive

and of the parties to the case, regard must be had to the manner of

appointment of its members and the duration of their term of office,

the existence of regulations governing their removal or guarantees for

their irremovability, laws prohibiting their being given instructions

by the executive in their adjudicatory role, the existence of legal

guarantees against outside pressures, the question whether the body

presents an appearance of independence and the attendance of members

of the judiciary in the proceedings (cf. for example Eur. Court H.R.,

Campbell and Fell judgment of 28 June 1984, Series A no. 80, pp. 39-41,

paras. 78-81 with further references).

55. As regards the question of impartiality the Commission recalls

that the existence of impartiality for the purposes of Article 6

para. 1 (Art. 6-1) must be determined according to a subjective test,

that is on the basis of the personal conviction of a particular judge

in a given case, and also according to an objective test, that is

ascertaining whether the judge offered guarantees sufficient to exclude

any legitimate doubt in this respect (see, for example, Eur. Court

H.R., Piersack judgment of 1 October 1982, Series A no. 53, p. 14,

para. 30).

56. When considering these elements in the circumstances of the

present case it appears difficult to dissociate the question of

impartiality from that of independence.

57. As regards the subjective approach to this question the

Commission and the Court of Human Rights have constantly held that the

personal impartiality of a judge must be presumed until the contrary

is established (cf. for example Eur. Court H.R., Le Compte, Van Leuven

and De Meyere judgment of 23 June 1981, Series A no. 43, p. 25,

para. 58). No evidence has been adduced which could raise doubts on

this point in the present case. However, the Commission notes that

adducing such evidence may be difficult due to the fact that the jurors

deliberate and vote in camera and are not required to state how the

vote was eventually cast or to state in any way in their verdict the

reasons on which it is based. This may influence the appearance of a

fair trial by an impartial tribunal unless other means are applied to

guarantee this.

58. The system of selecting jurors for cases to be dealt with under

the FPA is set out in the Act itself. Jurors shall be appointed for

each county for a term of four calendar years. They are elected by the

County Councils and should be known for their soundness of judgment,

independence and fair-mindedness. Once selected for a particular case

the jurors' independence is safeguarded by the Instrument of Government

itself, and their disqualification follows the same criteria as

established for professional judges under the Code of Judicial

Procedure.

59. From this it is apparent that, in the exercise of their duties,

the jurors are, according to Swedish law, subject to no authority and

exercise the powers conferred on them without any interference by the

executive, Parliament or anybody else. This does not, however, exclude

the possibility that their independence and impartiality may appear

open to doubt in a particular case. What must be determined is whether

there are ascertainable facts which may raise doubts in respect of the

jurors' impartiality from an objective point of view and their

appearance of independence.

60. What is at stake in this respect is the confidence which the

courts in a democratic society must inspire in the public. Accordingly,

any judge in respect of whom there is a legitimate reason to fear

partiality must withdraw. This implies that in deciding whether in a

given case there is a legitimate reason to fear that a particular judge

is partial, the opinion of the party involved is important but not

decisive. What is decisive is whether this fear can be held objectively

justified.

61. In the present case the jurors were selected by the drawing of

lots after the parties had used their right to exclude jurors from the

lists. Five of the jurors selected were members of the SAP and the

Commission accepts that the applicant feared in the circumstances that

this might influence the outcome in an unacceptable way from his point

of view. The question remains, though, whether this fear was legitimate

and objectively justified.

62. It is undisputed that the defendant Hansson had been an active

member of the SAP and that he was employed by the defendant Tidens

Bokförlag AB which, in its turn, was closely linked to the SAP. Not

only was Tidens Bokförlag AB known for having published books based on

Social Democratic ideas, but it was also de facto owned and controlled

by the SAP. It is furthermore a fact that five members of the jury,

against whom the applicant had misgivings, were active members of the

SAP and that they held or had held various offices on behalf of the

party. In these circumstances the Commission finds that, as regards

political views, there was a clear link between the five jurors and the

defendants in the case.

63. As regards the issue which the jury was called upon to consider,

the Commission recalls that the passages of the book to which the

applicant objected related to his activities in his personal capacity

and within the foundation Contra which was hostile to the activities

of the SAP. The Commission considers that the disputed passages in the

book - in which the applicant's activities were referred to in the

context of so-called right wing extremism in Sweden - were of a clearly

political nature. In these circumstances the Commission also finds that

the applicant could legitimately fear that the jury members affiliated

to the SAP could be influenced by their political opinions which

generally speaking would coincide with those of the two defendants.

64. Furthermore, the Commission recalls that under the Swedish system

of jury trials the judgment eventually delivered does not contain any

reasons indicating the objective basis of the jury's verdict. Moreover,

where, as in the present case, that verdict is an acquittal, there is

no right for the plaintiff to have the verdict effectively reviewed

upon appeal. The Commission considers that in such a system it is of

even greater importance to exclude any elements which could give rise

to doubts as to the independence and impartiality of the jurors.

65. Having regard to the above the Commission finds that in the

specific circumstances of the case the independence and impartiality

of the District Court of Stockholm sitting with a jury was capable of

appearing to be open to doubt and that the applicant's fears in this

respect can be considered to be objectively justified. Accordingly the

Commission finds that the applicant's case was determined by a tribunal

which cannot be regarded as independent and impartial within the

meaning of Article 6 para. 1 (Art. 6-1) of the Convention.

Conclusion

66. The Commission concludes, by fourteen votes to one, that there

has been a violation of Article 6 para. 1 (Art. 6-1) of the Convention.

Secretary to the Commission President of the Commission

(H.C. KRÜGER) (C.A. NØRGAARD)

OPINION DISSIDENTE DE M. J.-C. GEUS

1. Le présente affaire pourrait être lourde de conséquences pour

nombre d'Etats parties à la Convention. Bien que l'avis de la

Commission ne porte pas sur la conformité d'un système juridique aux

normes conventionnelles mais seulement - comme il se doit - sur le

point de savoir si ces normes ont été respectées dans un cas (très)

particulier, les conclusions qu'il faut nécessairement tirer d'un

constat de violation m'amènent à me démarquer de la majorité de la

Commission.

Que le litige en cause ait un caractère éminemment politique

n'est pas douteux, mais cette circonstance n'a rien d'exceptionnel ou

de surprenant lorsque la liberté d'expression est en question.

Le problème qui se pose est de savoir comment il serait possible

de faire trancher un tel litige par une juridiction qui présenterait

toutes les apparences de l'impartialité vis-à-vis de toutes les

parties. Inévitablement, cela conduit à examiner, et le cas échéant,

à critiquer un système juridictionnel. Il me paraît clairement résulter

de l'avis de la Commission que celle-ci estime que de tels litiges

devraient être jugés par des magistrats professionnels plutôt que par

un jury représentatif de la population.

2. Je tiens d'emblée à observer que les membres du jury ont été

tirés au sort sur des listes présentées par des administrations locales

et que, par conséquent, le jury devait être composé en majorité par des

personnes de tendance sociale-démocrate, puisque ce parti a bénéficié

de la majorité absolue en Suède pendant plusieurs décennies, à la suite

d'élections dont le caractère démocratique n'est pas contesté.

Il me m'apparaît pas illégitime que la justice soit exercée par

des organes représentatifs de la population.

Par ailleurs, compte tenu de la grande stabilité politique qui

a régné en Suède, il n'est nullement impossible qu'un grand nombre de

magistrats professionnels de ce pays soient des sympathisants de la

tendance sociale-démocrate.

3. Les personnes susceptibles de faire partie d'un jury sont

présentées pour quatre ans et rien n'indique que cette qualité

offrirait des avantages tels que ces personnes seraient tentées de

faire preuve de docilité vis-à-vis du parti politique qui les a

présentées. De plus, l'opinion exprimée par chacun des membres du jury

n'est pas rendue publique, si bien qu'ils ne sont en aucun cas amenés

à devoir rendre des comptes en cas de verdict défavorable à leur parti

politique (voir spécialement les par. 37 à 39 de l'avis de la

Commission).

Il convient d'ajouter qu'en l'espèce l'issue du litige présentait

certes un certain intérêt pour le parti social-démocrate, mais l'enjeu

financier du procès n'était pas tel que l'activité de ce parti aurait

pu être entravée de quelque manière que ce soit.

4. La question qui se pose en l'espèce est de savoir si des

magistrats professionnels sont plus capables que des jurés de statuer

en faisant abstraction de leurs convictions.

On peut le penser, comme on peut penser qu'un simple citoyen sera

impressionné par la charge occasionnelle qui lui est confiée et sera

par conséquent particulièrement attentif à exercer sa fonction

juridictionnelle en toute impartialité et en toute indépendance, ayant

bien à l'esprit le serment qu'il vient de prêter.

Il ne s'agit là, à mon avis, que de supputations assez vaines,

insuffisantes en soi pour se prononcer sur une éventuelle violation de

l'article 6 par. 1 de la Convention.

5. L'essentiel, s'agissant de l'impartialité objective d'un

tribunal, me paraît être ailleurs.

Un homme politique a tendance à tout voir à travers le prisme -

parfois ou souvent - déformant de la politique, et éprouve donc

généralement des difficultés à admettre que toutes les activités

humaines ne sont pas dominées par des considérations d'ordre politique.

Lorsqu'un litige a une connotation politique certaine, ne sera-t-il pas

tenté de s'interroger sur la nature des convictions de ses juges et

s'il n'obtient pas gain de cause ne sera-t-il pas automatiquement tenté

de soupçonner ses juges d'être des adversaires politiques? Pour ma

part, je suis convaincu que ces questions appellent dans la plupart des

cas une réponse affirmative.

Dans les années soixante-dix, le pouvoir en France maudissait les

magistrats qualifiés - à tort ou à raison - de "juges rouges".

Aujourd'hui, le pouvoir se plaint d'être traqué par des magistrats

téléguidés par la droite. Cela a amené M. Pierre DRAI, premier

président de la Cour de cassation de France, à s'adresser en ces termes

au ministre de la Justice :

"Depuis un certain temps, l'action des juges, à l'occasion de

procédures particulières, donne lieu à des débordements, par le

verbe et par l'écrit, que je tiens pour excessifs et même chargés

de périls pour l'institution judiciaire.

Dès lors que cette action est engagée suivant les règles (...)

le juge, qui en est le moteur, ne saurait faire l'objet

d'attaques visant sa personne ou tendant à le faire suspecter de

noirs desseins ou à le déconsidérer dans l'esprit de nos

concitoyens.

(...)

Laissons les juges juger: il y va de l'intérêt supérieur de notre

justice et, donc, de notre société libre et démocratique"

(Le Monde du 12 août 1992, p. 8).

On ne saurait mieux exprimer combien les magistrats

professionnels peuvent être soupçonnés, voire accusés, de partialité

en raison de leurs convictions politiques, réelles ou supposées.

6. Le rôle de la justice dans une société démocratique est à la fois

trop important et suffisamment difficile pour ne pas exiger, de

surcroît, qu'elle échappe à toute critique formulée par des

justiciables naturellement enclins à la subjectivité, cette dernière

constatation ayant un poids tout particulier dans le cas d'un litige

opposant des adversaires politiques.

C'est la raison pour laquelle je ne puis me rallier à l'avis de

la Commission, même si j'en reconnais les mérites et apprécie les

efforts faits pour tendre vers une justice parfaite. Mais ne dit-on pas

que le mieux est l'ennemi du bien ?

APPENDIX I

HISTORY OF PROCEEDINGS

Date Item

_________________________________________________________________

24 January 1987 Introduction of the application

6 September 1988 Registration of the application

Examination of Admissibility

7 May 1990 Commission's decision to invite the

Government to submit observations on

the admissibility and merits of the

application

23 August 1990 Submission of the Government's

observations

30 November 1990 Submission of the applicant's

observations

14 October 1991 Commission's decision to hold a

hearing on the admissibility and

merits of the case

9 January 1992 Hearing on the admissibility and

merits and Commission's decision to

declare the application admissible

Examination of the merits

2 March 1992 Submission of the applicant's

observations on the merits

26 March 1992 Submission of the Government's

observations on the merits

16 May 1992 Consideration of the state of

proceedings

13 October 1992 Commission's deliberations on the

merits, final vote and adoption of

the Report

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HOLM v. SWEDEN

HOLM v. SWEDEN