### General Principles of Interference with the Right to Freedom of Assembly
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) defines "interference" with the right to freedom of assembly as any action by public authorities that restricts or impedes the exercise of this right. This includes measures taken before, during, or after an assembly, such as bans, dispersals, arrests, and punitive measures (
1_97,
2_103,
2_239,
3_93,
4_71,
5_56,
5_87,
6_81,
6_88,
6_89,
7_81,
7_82,
9_242,
9_243,
10_2,
10_38,
10_39,
10_40,
10_41,
11_94,
12_97,
12_98,
13_86,
14_88,
15_66,
16_88,
18_99,
19_73,
22_48,
22_49,
22_50,
22_125,
23_114,
24_108,
24_109,
25_106,
26_103,
27_103,
28_153,
28_154,
29_118,
30_104, 3
1_97,
31_98,
32_30,
32_31,
32_32,
32_75,
33_68,
34_36,
34_109,
35_36,
35_37,
35_38,
35_109,
36_109,
36_110,
37_268,
39_74,
39_75,
40_11,
40_82,
41_62,
42_76,
42_77,
42_143,
42_144,
43_70,
43_71,
43_101,
47_95,
48_69,
48_84,
48_85,
48_86,
48_87,
48_88,
48_89,
52_75,
52_89,
53_85,
53_107,
53_141,
54_79,
54_80,
55_121,
55_122,
55_207,
56_184,
56_185,
56_186,
57_83,
57_84,
57_85,
58_94,
58_100,
59_78,
59_79,
59_80,
59_81,
59_82,
59_83,
60_102,
61_82,
62_90,
65_100,
65_101,
65_102,
65_103,
65_104,
65_105,
66_212,
66_213,
66_214,
66_215,
66_216,
67_41,
68_43,
68_75,
68_78,
69_58,
69_59,
69_60,
70_125,
74_81,
74_140,
74_141,
75_74,
75_75,
75_76,
75_77,
76_195,
77_40,
78_82,
78_84,
78_85,
78_109,
78_110,
79_68,
80_208,
80_210,
81_90,
83_131,
83_132,
84_36,
84_108,
84_109,
84_110,
85_70,
85_71, 8
6_81,
86_82,
87_220,
87_221,
87_222,
87_223,
87_224,
87_225,
87_226,
87_227,
87_228,
87_229,
87_230,
87_231,
87_232,
87_233,
89_30,
90_32,
91_31,
91_60,
91_62,
92_41,
92_42,
93_151,
93_152,
93_153,
93_154,
93_155,
93_156,
93_157,
93_158,
94_39,
95_89,
95_90,
95_91,
95_108,
95_109,
97_30,
97_31,
97_35,
97_38,
97_39,
99_27,
99_33,
99_35,
126_35,
131_210,
319_51,
400_13,
405_14,
406_17,
407_14,
503_7,
504_7,
505_7,
509_7,
510_7,
511_7,
512_7,
520_7,
521_9,
522_7,
524_7,
526_7,
527_7,
528_7,
529_6,
530_6,
531_9,
537_7,
539_7,
541_7,
543_7,
544_7,
545_7,
546_7,
551_8,
556_7,
563_7,
565_7,
566_7,
567_7,
571_7,
572_7,
573_6,
577_7,
580_7,
583_7,
584_7,
586_7,
587_6,
605_11,
608_8,
612_8,
618_9,
639_8,
652_8,
672_8,
673_8).
#Chilling Effect
Interference can also have a chilling effect, discouraging individuals from participating in assemblies (
106_34,
185_25,
229_19,
246_13,
371_50,
384_19).
#Scope of Interference
1. **Definition and Scope**:
- The Court reiterates that an interference does not need to amount to an outright ban, legal or de facto, but can consist of various other measures taken by the authorities. The term "restrictions" in Article 11 ยง 2 must be interpreted as including both measures taken before or during an assembly, such as a prior ban, dispersal of the rally, or the arrest of participants, and those, such as punitive measures, taken afterwards, including penalties imposed for having taken part in a rally (
206_59,
221_51,
228_45,
240_44,
244_49,
251_33,
256_91).
- Interference can also include the prosecution and conviction of individuals for their participation in assemblies (
221_54,
266_24).
2. **Acknowledgment by Governments**:
- In several cases, the governments themselves acknowledged that the measures taken against organizers and participants of public assemblies were unlawful or disproportionate, thus constituting interference (
506_16,
519_16,
562_20,
581_18,
599_17).
#Prohibitions and Restrictions
The Court also acknowledges that prohibitions on holding peaceful assemblies or restrictions on the location, time, or manner of conduct of public events amount to interference (
531_9,
553_59).