The article provides an overview of standards of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) concerning freedom of expression and its interpretation by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in case law regarding application of Article 10 and 17 ECHR in cases with public debate on the past and history in the background. The article demonstrates that the ECtHR has considered expressions with clear and sole intent to insult and expressions denying or casting doubt on established historical fact as not protected as free expression under ECHR, and provides relevant examples from ECtHR case law. Furthermore, the article discusses a state’s positive obligation under ECHR to assure conditions for free study and debate on the past and history to take place. It finds that the ECtHR has elaborated a certain standard of public debate on historical topics, yet that this standard is only derivative of reasoning in cases where protecting public order and rights and reputations of others are considered as protected values. The article also points to the declared and actual role of the ECtHR itself in historical disputes. The article concludes with encouraging ECtHR to clearly establish whether such grounds as “protecting historical truth” or “protecting reputation of state or nation” validate introducing limits to free expression and to become more assertive in claiming its role as actor in historical disputes.