2 RUBINS v. LATVIA JUDGMENT A. Events leading to the applicant’s dismissal 6. The applicant was a professor and the head of the Department of Dermatological and Venereal Diseases of the Faculty of Medicine of Riga Stradiņa University (hereafter “the University”), which is a State university. The applicant had been elected to the position of head of department with effect until 13 April 2013. He was also an elected member of the constituent assembly of the University (Satversmes sapulce). 7. On 22 February 2010 the Council of the Faculty of Medicine decided to merge the Department of Dermatological and Venereal Diseases and the Department of Infectious Diseases. That decision was approved by the Senate of the University (Senāts) on the following day. It appears that as a result of the merger the position of head of department occupied by the applicant was abolished. Accordingly, on 24 February 2010 the applicant received a warning (brīdinājums) to that effect and was given the opportunity to agree to the changes in his contract with the University. He was also informed that if he refused, his employment relationship with the University would be terminated. 8. On 28 February 2010 the applicant sent various emails to the Rector of the University concerning the circumstances of the reorganisation and the abolition of his department. He criticised the decisions taken by the deputy dean, G.B. 9. On 3 March 2010 the applicant sent another email to the Rector of the University and to several other recipients, including the members of the Senate. The email criticised the lack of democracy and accountability in the leadership of the organisation, which, according to the applicant, stemmed from the fact that all the members of the Senate were also a part of the executive authority of the University and there was thus an inadequate system of checks and balances. He also drew the recipients’ attention to the alleged mismanagement of the University’s finances. In support of this allegation the applicant relied on the conclusions adopted by the State Audit Office (Valsts Kontrole) in December 2009. 10. The applicant further spoke in unfavourable terms about several representatives of the management of the University, stating, for example, that [Mr ...]. “pretends to be a God-fearing Catholic ... yet, as far as is known, has several children born out of wedlock”, that [Mr ...] “cannot decide a single question by himself, does not keep his word, is lying” and that [Mrs ...] “has called me and asked me to break the law in the interests of her protégés”. 11. Finally, the applicant came up with a proposal involving several amendments to the constitution of the University, such as changes in the election of the members of the Senate (an obligation to inform the constituent assembly of the candidate’s CV at least one week before the elections, the setting-up of an independent electoral commission);