On December 10, 2025, the Collegium of Civil Cases of the Riga Regional Court delivered a judgment dismissing the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant and the Latvian public broadcaster. The claimant sought the retraction of news reports allegedly damaging dignity, an apology, and compensation.
In the scope of the case, the court assessed whether the statements made by the defendant in a program broadcast by the public broadcaster, which featured a story about a victim of violence, were true. The court also considered whether the publication of these statements violated the plaintiff’s rights to the protection of private and family life and constituted an infringement upon the plaintiff’s honour and dignity.
The court ruled that the defendant had not infringed upon the plaintiff’s honour and dignity with their statements. Furthermore, the court concluded that the public broadcaster had acted in good faith and in the public interest, as the program’s purpose was to inform the public about domestic violence, not to infringe upon the plaintiff’s honour and dignity.
In adopting the judgment, the court emphasized that freedom of expression cannot be restricted on the grounds that, as a result of disseminating true facts and permissible opinions, the audience will hypothetically arrive at certain conclusions of their own.
“We are satisfied with the favourable outcome of the litigation, as well as the court’s conclusions regarding freedom of expression. The court’s findings allow us to conclude that the principle ‘ Violence likes silence’ will no longer hold true, and when evaluating victims’ experiences and comments about what they have endured, direct proof for every specific statement cannot be demanded,” commented Senior Associate Gabriela Šantare.
The defendants were represented in court by Senior Associate Gabriela Šantare. COBALT’s team also included Junior Associate Elīza Madsena.
The judgment may be appealed in cassation proceedings within 30 days from the day the judgment was pronounced. The court hearing took place in private to safeguard the rights of the parties concerned.
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