FIFTH SECTION

DECISION

Applications nos. 63557/16 and 15753/17 ANS CM BROADCASTING AND MEDIA COMPANY against A zerbaijan and ANS INDEPENDENT BROADCASTING AND MEDIA COMPANY LLC against Azerbaijan

The European Court of Human Rights (Fifth Section), sitting on 10 April 2018 as a Chamber composed of:

Angelika Nußberger , President, Erik Møse , André Potocki , Yonko Grozev , Mārtiņš Mits , Gabriele Kucsko-Stadlmayer , Lәtif Hüseynov , judges,

and Claudia Westerdiek, Section Registrar ,

Having regard to the above applications lodged on 29 October 2016 and 21 February 2017 respectively,

Having deliberated, decides as follows:

FACTS AND PROCEDURE

1. The applicant company in the first case (application no. 63557/16) , ANS CM Broadcasting and Media Company (the first applicant), is a private company registered in Azerbaijan in 1999 with the registered address in Baku. The application was lodged on its behalf by its General Director, Ms S. Rasulova .

2. The applicant company in the second case (application no. 15753/17), ANS Independent Broadcasting and Media Company LLC (the second applicant), is a private company registered in Azerbaijan in 1996 with the registered address in Baku. The application was lodged on its behalf by its General Director, Mr M.-S. Agayev .

3. Both applicant companies were represented before the Court by Mr F. Agayev , a lawyer practising in Azerbaijan.

4. Both applicant companies are owned by the same individuals.

5. The first applicant complained under Articles 6 § 1, 7, 10, 13, 14, 17 and 18 of the Convention, Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention and Article 4 of Protocol No. 7 to the Convention about an allegedly unlawful and unjustified revocation of its radio broadcasting license and termination of its activities. The second applicant complained under Articles 6 § 1, 7, 10, 13, 17 and 18 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention about an allegedly unlawful and unjustified revocation of its television broadcasting licence and termination of its activities.

6. By a letter of 10 April 2017, Mr M.-S. Agayev , the second applicant company ’ s General Director, wrote personally to the Court, informing it of his wish to withdraw application no. 15753/17, noting that the company was in talks with the authorities with a view to resolving the matter on the domestic level.

7. By faxes of 24 July 2017 the representative, Mr F. Agayev , informed the Court that the owners of both applicant companies had unanimously instructed him to withdraw the applications and requested the Court to strike them out of the list of cases.

THE LAW

8. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.

9. In the light of the foregoing, and in the absence of any special circumstances regarding respect for the rights guaranteed by the Convention or its Protocols, the Court, in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (a) of the Convention, considers that the applicants no longer intend to pursue the application s .

In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the case s out of the list.

For these reasons, the Court, by a majority,

Decides to join the applications;

Decides to strike the applications out of its list of cases.

Done in English and notified in writing on 3 May 2018 .

Claudia Westerdiek Angelika Nußberger Registrar President