Attacks on human honour and dignity: options for legal protection

Everyone’s honour and dignity deserve respect regardless of social status, profession or personal relationships. Humiliation, knowingly false accusations and public insults can harm psychological well-being, reputation and everyday life. Lawful remedies are available in such situations.

Defamation and insults have different legal meanings. Defamation involves knowingly spreading false allegations that discredit another person. An insult involves intentionally degrading someone’s honour and dignity in an indecent form. Liability depends on the content, manner of expression and other statutory conditions.

Not every negative opinion or criticism automatically constitutes an offence. It is important to distinguish a verifiable factual allegation from a subjective assessment. However, freedom of expression does not authorise insulting others. Saying “I posted it online” or “I heard it from someone else” does not automatically remove responsibility.

Under Article 100 of the Civil Code, a person may seek a court-ordered retraction of information damaging their honour, dignity or business reputation if the person who disseminated it cannot establish its truth. Compensation for losses and non-material harm may also be sought where legal grounds exist. The court assesses whether compensation is payable and its amount.

Preserving evidence is a useful first step. Record the complete message, post or comment, its location, publication date and the author’s account details. Witnesses and existing documents may also be relevant. Before requesting deletion, securely preserve information showing that the material existed.

Depending on the circumstances, options include requesting a correction or retraction from the author or publisher, reporting the material to the platform, or approaching the competent authorities or a court. A platform complaint does not fully replace legal proceedings. A lawyer can help identify appropriate claims and procedures.

Responding with insults or threats may deepen the conflict. If there is immediate danger, prioritise safety and contact the police. Respecting others’ dignity and avoiding the spread of unverified accusations are also important expressions of legal awareness.