CEDH · CASELAW;DECISIONS;ADMISSIBILITYCOM;ENG — 21 mars 2024

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border:0.75pt solid #838383; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s299500A9 { width:10.58%; border:0.75pt solid #838383; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .sE101E631 { width:14.42%; border:0.75pt solid #838383; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } .s5FFF0A7E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:8pt } .sF6A12959 { width:33%; height:1px; text-align:left } .sA4BC3E2E { font-family:Arial; font-size:5.33pt; vertical-align:super; color:#000000 }   FIRST SECTION DECISION Application no. 38258/20 Sakit MAMMADOV against Azerbaijan and 8 other applications (see appended table) The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting on 21 March 2024 as a Committee composed of:   Péter Paczolay , President ,   Gilberto Felici,   Raffaele Sabato , judges , and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having regard to the above applications lodged on the various dates indicated in the appended table, Having regard to the declarations submitted by the respondent Government requesting the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases, Having deliberated, decides as follows: FACTS AND PROCEDURE The list of applicants is set out in the appended table. The applicants’ complaints under Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 of the Convention concerning the alleged breach of their right to stand as candidates in parliamentary elections were communicated to the Azerbaijani Government (“the Government”). Complaints based on the same facts were also communicated under Article 13 of the Convention. THE LAW Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision. After the failure of attempts to reach a friendly settlement, the Government informed the Court that they proposed to make unilateral declarations with a view to resolving the issues raised by these complaints. They further requested the Court to strike out the applications in accordance with Article   37 of the Convention. The Government acknowledged that the domestic authorities had violated the applicants’ rights guaranteed by the provisions of the Convention relied on by the applicants. They offered to pay the applicants the amounts detailed in the appended table and invited the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases in accordance with Article   37 §   1   (c) of the Convention. The amounts would be payable within three months from the date of notification of the Court’s decision. In the event of failure to pay these amounts within the above-mentioned three-month period, the Government undertook to pay simple interest on them, from the expiry of that period until settlement, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points. The payment will constitute the final resolution of the cases. The applicants were sent the terms of the Government’s unilateral declarations several weeks before the date of this decision. The applicants did not accept the terms of the declarations. The Court observes that Article   37 §   1   (c) enables it to strike a case out of its list if: “... for any other reason established by the Court, it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the application”. Thus, it may strike out applications under Article   37 §   1 (c) on the basis of a unilateral declaration by a respondent Government even if the applicants wish the examination of the cases to be continued (see, in particular, the Tahsin Acar v.   Turkey judgment (preliminary objections) [GC], no.   26307/95, §§   75 ‑ 77, ECHR 2003-VI). The Court has established clear and extensive case-law concerning very similar complaints against Azerbaijan related to violations of the right to stand as a candidate in elections (see Namat Aliyev v.   Azerbaijan , no.   18705/06, 8 April 2010, and Gahramanli and Others v.   Azerbaijan , no.   36503/11, 8 October 2015). Noting the admissions contained in the Government’s declarations as well as the amount of compensation proposed – which are consistent with the amounts awarded in recent similar cases concerning electoral rights (see, for example, G.K. v. Belgium , no. 58302/10, § 73, 21 May 2019; Abil v.   Azerbaijan (no. 2) , no. 8513/11, § 94, 5 December 2019; and Mugemangango v. Belgium [GC], no. 310/15, § 146, 10 July 2020) – the Court considers that it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the applications (Article   37 §   1   (c)). In the light of the above considerations, the Court is satisfied that respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and the Protocols thereto does not require it to continue the examination of the applications (Article   37 §   1 in fine ). Finally, the Court emphasises that, should the Government fail to comply with the terms of their unilateral declarations, the applications may be restored to the list in accordance with Article   37 §   2 of the Convention (see Josipović v.   Serbia (dec.), no.   18369/07, 4   March 2008). In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the cases out of the list. For these reasons, the Court, unanimously, Decides to join the applications; Takes note of the terms of the respondent Government’s declarations and of the arrangements for ensuring compliance with the undertakings referred to therein; Decides to strike the applications out of its list of cases in accordance with Article   37 §   1   (c) of the Convention. Done in English and notified in writing on 11 April 2024.     Viktoriya Maradudina   Péter Paczolay   Acting Deputy Registrar   President   APPENDIX List of applications raising complaints under Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention (alleged breach of the right to stand as candidates in parliamentary elections)   No. Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Year of birth Principal representative’s name and location Other complaints under well-established case-law   Date of receipt of Government’s declaration Date of receipt of applicant’s comments Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros) [1]     38258/20 15/08/2020 Sakit Majid oglu MAMMADOV 1982 Khalid Zakir oglu BAGIROV Baku Art. 13 - absence of an effective remedy 05/10/2023 20/12/2023 4,750     38928/20 31/07/2020 Razim Rza oglu RZAYEV 1964 Khalid Zakir oglu BAGIROV Baku Art. 13 - absence of an effective remedy 05/10/2023 20/12/2023 4,750     39186/20 28/08/2020 Latifa Oruj gizi ALIYEVA 1958 Khalid Zakir oglu BAGIROV Baku Art. 13 - absence of an effective remedy 05/10/2023 20/12/2023 4,750     40699/20 22/08/2020 Farid Vagif oglu EYVAZOV 1986 Khalid Zakir oglu BAGIROV Baku Art. 13 - absence of an effective remedy 05/10/2023 20/12/2023 4,750     40711/20 20/08/2020 Farhad Sovet oglu MEHDIYEV 1974 Khalid Zakir oglu BAGIROV Baku Art. 13 - absence of an effective remedy 05/10/2023 20/12/2023 4,750     41657/20 29/08/2020 Mahmud Avdi oglu MAHMUDOV 1980 Khalid Zakir oglu BAGIROV Baku Art. 13 - absence of an effective remedy 05/10/2023 20/12/2023 4,750     41864/20 06/09/2020 Samad Shahin oglu RAHIMLI 1989 Khalid Zakir oglu BAGIROV Baku Art. 13 - absence of an effective remedy 05/10/2023 20/12/2023 4,750     42504/20 02/09/2020 Arastun Ali oglu BAKHSHALIYEV 1981 Khalid Zakir oglu BAGIROV Baku Art. 13 - absence of an effective remedy 05/10/2023 20/12/2023 4,750     46165/20 28/09/2020 Khalid Zakir oglu BAGIROV 1976   Art. 13 - absence of an effective remedy 05/10/2023 20/12/2023 4,750   [1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants