The European Court of Human Rights has dismissed a lawsuit from three former British MPs, who sought to compel the government to investigate the alleged influence of Russian disinformation on the Brexit referendum and parliamentary elections.

Source:The Guardian, as reported by European Pravda 

Details:In a ruling unveiled on Tuesday, the ECtHR in Strasbourg affirmed that states enjoy "a wide margin of appreciation" in ways to deal with election interference attempts.

The court acknowledged that the British government’s initial response to Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 EU exit vote fell short, but deemed those deficiencies later rectified.

They highlighted that Britain launched two inquiries – including a 2020 parliamentary committee report on Russia – and enacted laws to thwart foreign interference.

"While the applicants have criticised these measures as ‘too little, too late’, the measures nevertheless appear to address the points raised by the applicants," the ECtHR judgment declared.

The Court also noted that while the threat of disinformation must not be downplayed, the precise impact of Russian or other interference on the electoral process remains "difficult to assess accurately".

Background: 

• Three former British MPs and staunch Brexit opponents lodged the case, demanding an inquiry into Russia’s meddling in elections following the 2020 Russia report.
• They argued that the UK government and intelligence agencies failed to adequately scrutinise the Kremlin’s efforts to sway the Brexit vote, branding it a breach of Article 3 of Protocol I of the European Convention on Human Rights, which safeguards the right to free elections.
• Back in 2020, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a known Brexit advocate, dismissed claims that the EU departure vote was tainted by Russian interference.

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