includes their right to try to convey their views to others, but it also entails the right of all persons to freely learn about opinions, accounts, and news of all kinds.59 58. The right to freedom of expression is an essential cornerstone of democratic societies, given its indispensable structural relationship to democracy.60 The objective of Article 13 of the American Convention is to strengthen the workings of deliberative and pluralistic democratic systems through the protection and promotion of the free circulation of information, ideas, and expressions of all kinds.61 The overarching importance of freedom of expression in a democratic society has also been recognized in the same terms by the European Court of Human Rights,62 the United Nations Human Rights Committee63 and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. 64 Article 4 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter characterizes freedom of expression and the press as “essential components of the exercise of democracy.”65 Similarly, the 1999 Joint Declaration of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression recalls that, “Freedom of expression is a fundamental international human right and a basic component of a civil society based on democratic principles.” For the same reasons, it has been said that the States must promote, rather than constrain, the vigorous, plural, and uninhibited deliberation of all public affairs. 59. Notwithstanding its fundamental significance, freedom of expression is not an absolute right. Article 13.2 of the American Convention, which prohibits prior censorship, also allows for restrictions to freedom of expression through the imposition of subsequent liability for the abuse of this right. Nevertheless, these restrictions are exceptional and must meet the conditions set forth in the Convention; that is, they must be established by law, have a legitimate aim, and be necessary and proportionate to the accomplishment of that 59 I/A Court H.R., Case of Herrera Ulloa v. Costa Rica. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of July 2, 2004. Series C No. 107, para. 110. Available at: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_107_ing.pdf; I/A Court H.R., Case of Ricardo Canese v. Paraguay. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of August 31, 2004. Series C No. 111, para. 79. Available at: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_111_ing.pdf; I/A Court H.R., Case of “The Last Temptation of Christ” (OlmedoBustos et al.) v. Chile. Judgment of February 5, 2001. Series C No. 73, para. 66. Available at: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_73_ing.pdf. 60 I/A Court H.R., Case of Claude Reyes et al. v. Chile. Judgment of September 19, 2006. Series C No. 151, para. 85; I/A Court H.R., Case of Herrera Ulloa v. Costa Rica. Judgment of July 2, 2004. Series C No. 107, para. 116; I/A Court H.R., Case of Ricardo Canese v. Paraguay. Judgment of August 31, 2004. Series C No. 111, para. 86; I/A Court H.R., Compulsory Membership in an Association Prescribed by Law for the Practice of Journalism (Arts. 13 and 29 American Convention on Human Rights). Advisory Opinion OC-5/85 of November 13, 1985. Series A No. 5, para. 70, available at: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/opiniones/seriea_05_ing.pdf. 61 IACHR. Arguments before the Inter-American Court in the Case of Ivcher Bronstein v. Peru. Reprinted in: I/A Court H.R., Case of Ivcher Bronstein v. Peru. Judgment of February 6, 2001. Series C No. 74, para. 143. d); IACHR. Arguments before the Inter-American Court in the Case of “The Last Temptation of Christ” (Olmedo-Bustos et al.) v. Chile. Reprinted in: I/A Court H.R., Case of “The Last Temptation of Christ” (Olmedo-Bustos et al.) v. Chile. Judgment of February 5, 2001. Series C No. 73, para. 61. b). 62 I/A Court H.R., Case of Ricardo Canese v. Paraguay. Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of August 31, 2004. Series C No. 111, para. 83; I/A Court H.R., Case of Herrera Ulloa. Judgment of July 2, 2004. Series C No. 107, para. 113; I/A Court H.R., Case of Ivcher Bronstein v. Peru. Judgment of February 6, 2001. Series C No. 74, para. 152; Case of “The Last Temptation of Christ” (Olmedo-Bustos et al.). Judgment of February 5, 2001. Series C No. 73, para. 69; Scharsach and News Verlagsgesellschaft v. Austria, no. 39394/98, § 29, ECHR 2003-XI; Perna v. Italy [GC], no.48898/98, § 39, ECHR 2003-V; Dichand and others v. Austria, no. 29271/95, § 37, ECHR 26 February 2002; Eur. Court H.R., Case of Lehideux and Isorni v. France, Judgment of 23 September, 1998, para. 55; Eur. Court H.R., Case of Otto-Preminger-Institut v. Austria, Judgment of 20 September, 1994, Series A no. 295-A, para. 49; Eur. Court H.R. Case of Castells v. Spain, Judgment of 23 April, 1992, Series A. No. 236, para. 42; Eur. Court H.R. Case of Oberschlick v. Austria, Judgment of 25 April, 1991, para. 57; Eur. Court H.R., Case of Müller and Others v. Switzerland, Judgment of 24 May, 1988, Series A no. 133, para. 33; Eur. Court H.R., Case of Lingens v. Austria, Judgment of 8 July, 1986, Series A no. 103, para. 41; Eur. Court H.R., Case of Barthold v. Germany, Judgment of 25 March, 1985, Series A no. 90, para. 58; Eur. Court H.R., Case of The Sunday Times v. United Kingdom, Judgment of 29 March, 1979, Series A no. 30, para. 65; Eur. Court H.R., Case of Handyside v. United Kingdom, Judgment of 7 December, 1976, Series A No. 24, para. 49. 63 U.N. Human Rights Committee, Aduayom et al. v. Togo (422/1990, 423/1990 & 424/1990), Decision of 12 July, 1996, para. 7.4, and U.N. Human Rights Committee. General Comment Nº 34: Article 19 Freedoms of opinion and expression. September 12, 2011. 64 African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Media Rights Agenda and Constitutional Rights Project v. Nigeria, Communications No. 105/93, 128/94, 130/94 and 152/96, Decision of 31 October, 1998, para. 54; African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa. 17 - 23 October, 2002; African Court on Human Rights and Peoples´ Rights. In the Matter of Lohé Issa Konaté v. Burkina Faso. Application No. 004/2013. Judgment of December 5, 2014. 65 Art. 4, Inter-American Democratic http://www.oas.org/charter/docs/resolution1_en_p4.htm. Charter, adopted on September 11, 2001. Available at: