FIRST SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 12563/18
Mladen CERANČEVIĆ
against Croatia
The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting on 2 June 2022 as a Committee composed of:
Alena Poláčková, President,
Raffaele Sabato,
Davor Derenčinović, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above application lodged on 8 March 2018,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDURE
The applicant, Mr Mladen Cerančević, was born in 1966. He was represented by Ms N. Owens, a lawyer practising in Zagreb.
The applicant’s complaints under Article 3 of the Convention concerning the inadequate conditions of detention were communicated to the Croatian Government (“the Government”), who submitted observations on the admissibility and merits.
By letter dated 20 January 2022, the applicant’s representative informed the Court that she had been in contact with the applicant last time in October 2019 and that, despite her sustained efforts, she had been unable to re-establish contact with him ever since. Therefore, when on 26 January 2022 the Government’s observations were forwarded to the applicant’s representative, the Registry invited her to submit observations on his behalf within a longer time-limit, namely until 9 May 2022.
On 9 May 2022 the applicant’s representative submitted the observations on behalf of the applicant, stated that she was still trying to establish contact with him and invited the Court to continue the examination of the application.
THE LAW
The Court considers that, in these circumstances, the applicant may be regarded as no longer wishing to pursue his application, within the meaning of Article 37 § 1 (a) of the Convention (see V.M. and Others v. Belgium (striking out) [GC], no. 60125/11, 17 November 2016). Furthermore, in accordance with Article 37 § 1 in fine, the Court finds no special circumstances regarding respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and its Protocols which require the continued examination of the case.
Accordingly, the case should be struck out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases.
Done in English and notified in writing on 23 June 2022.
Viktoriya Maradudina Alena Poláčková
Acting Deputy Registrar President