Communicated on 5 April 2017

FOURTH SECTION

Application no. 63164/16 Iván Szabolcs MÁNDLI and others against Hungary lodged on 26 October 2016

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE

Ruling no. 9/2013 of the Speaker of Parliament contains provisions, among others, on entering, and reporting from, Parliament by the media. The applicants, journalists employed by four different media organs, had regularly entered Parliament and interviewe d MPs. On 25 April 2016 the general editors of the four media organs employing the applicants received letters from the Chief Press Officer of Parliament informing them that the applicants were banned from Parliament as of 26 April 2016 for an indefinite period of time because they had breach ed the provisions of Ruling no. 9/2013 when they had, earlier that day, refused to leave certain premises of Parliament. In the absence of receiving an official resolution, the applicants could not appeal against the decision. The ban was lifted on 12 September 2016 in respect of all six applicants.

Applicants:

QUESTIONS tO THE PARTIES

1. Has there been a violation of the applicants ’ right to freedom of expression, in particular their right to impart information, contrary to Article 10 of the Convention?

2. I s there an effective remedy available to the applicants, as required by Article 13, in respect of the alleged grievance of their Article 10 rights?

3. Does the absence of any legal avenue against the impugned decision amount to frustration of the applicants ’ right to access to a cour t, as guaranteed by Article 6 § 1, in the determination of their civil rights (right to impart information)?