Supreme Court chaired by Judge Sevda Huseynova held a hearing on the cassational complaint filed by ANS Independent Broadcasting and Media Company against Baku Appeal Court’s decision on the cancellation of its license. The cassational appeal was not granted.
Background: On July 29, Baku Court of Appeal terminated the special broadcasting permit (license) issued to the private TV channel ANS TV on 25 October 2013. On July 18, National TV and Radio Council (NTRC) suspended ANS TV’s license for one month at the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office and appealed to the court for the annulment of the license after a video emerged showing the TV channel’s US-based correspondent interviewing Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen. In its statement, NTRC claimed that airing previews of an interview with Fetullah Gulen, who is accused of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey, constituted “promotion of terrorism.”