Religion – Weltanschauung – Recht [ RWR ]

The applicants are two individuals (a Bulgarian national and a Polish national, both of whom are Jehovah’s Witnesses in Bulgaria) and a legal entity (The Religious Denomination of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Bulgaria). In this case, the applicants allege that a ban on door-to-door “religious propaganda” imposed in the municipality of Shumen in 2016 infringed their right to freedom of religion.

They rely in this connection on Articles 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion) and 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention of Human Rights.

• Violation of Article 9

Just satisfaction

• The Court held that the finding of a violation constituted in itself sufficient just satisfaction for any non-pecuniary damage sustained by the applicants and that the respondent State was to pay € 1,000,– to each applicant for costs and expenses.

Press release ECHR 150 (2026) 09.06.2026