Rights of Cultural Identity in the Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights

Nikolaos Gaitenidis is a graduate of the Department of International and European, Political and Economic Studies of the University of Macedonia. He completed postgraduate studies in European Law at the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He received his doctorate degree in 2015 from the Department of International and European Studies of the University of Macedonia. Currently, he is an adjunct lecturer at the Department of Political Studies of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a researcher at the University of Macedonia on issues of human rights and diversity in the context of Jean Monnet projects and the UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Policy.

• Introduction.- Culture, cultural rights and the cultural dimension of human rights.- Part I: Human rights as defenders of cultural identity.- The right to enter or exit a culture.- The right to equality.- Respect of religious convictions, blasphemy, defamation of religion and anti-blasphemy extremism.- Language rights.- Educational rights.- Religious and cultural practices.- Collective dimensions of freedom of religion.- Private and family life as a cultural practice.- Participation in public life.- Right to exercise traditional economic activities.- Right to cultural heritage.- Part II: Human rights as restrictions to cultural identity.- Protecting the individual against cultural practices of the group.- Protecting the rights of others and the State’s margin of appreciation.- Concluding remarks.