Medžlis Islamske Zajednice Brčko and Others v. Bosnia and Herzegovina, No. 17224/11, ECtHR (Grand Chamner), 27 June 2017

NGOs bound by requirement to verify factual statements defamatory of private individuals.

Art. 10 ECHR

1. When an NGO draws attention to matters of public interest, it exercises a public oversight role of similar importance to that of the press. In the context of freedom of the press, because of the duties and responsibilities inherent in the exercise of freedom of expression, the protection afforded by Article 10 ECHR to journalists in relation to reporting on matters of general interest is subject to the condition that they act in good faith to provide accurate and reliable information in accordance with the ethics of journalism. The same considerations apply to an NGO assuming a social control function.
(The applicants, the Muslim Community and three NGOs in the Brčko district, sent a letter to the highest district authorities expressing their concerns about the procedure for appointing the director of the public radio station, alleging that an editor of the station, who had been proposed for the position, had performed disrespectful actions towards Muslims and members of the ethnic Bosnian population).