'Jesus, what a pants' advertisement is allowed

strasbourg - The Court of Human Rights has ruled that a fine that a Lithuanian clothing company received for advertisements with Jesus and Maria models is a violation of the right to freedom of expression.

The company Sekmadienis conducted in 2012 a campaign with online and street advertising in the capital Vilnius where a man in jeans and with tattoo was shown with the text: Jesus, what trousers. A woman in a dress with a bead necklace had to introduce Maria.

In addition to the Catholic Church, about a hundred people filed a complaint. Several authorities and judges in Lithuania ruled that the campaign was in violation of public morality. The imposed fine of around 580 euros remained, on which the company stepped to the human rights court.

The judges in Strasbourg unanimously ruled that their Lithuanian colleagues had insufficiently argued that the use of the religious symbols would be offensive. Moreover, the comic intended advertisements did not incite hatred. The authorities of the predominantly Catholic country must repay the fine.