Charter”) on 31 March 1992, and to the Protocol to the African Charter on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (hereinafter referred to as “the Protocol”) on 25 January 2004. On 23 July 2013, the Respondent State deposited the Declaration provided for in Article 34(6) of the Protocol (hereinafter referred to as “the Declaration”), by virtue of which it accepted the jurisdiction of the Court to receive applications from individuals and Non-Governmental Organisations. On 29 April 2020, the Respondent State deposited with the African Union Commission an instrument of withdrawal of the said Declaration. The Court has held that this withdrawal has no bearing on pending cases or new cases filed before the withdrawal comes into effect one year (1) after its deposition, in this case, on 30 April 2021.1 II. SUBJECT OF THE APPLICATION A. Facts of the matter 3. It emerges from the Application that the Applicant was arrested and detained on 17 October 2014 and subsequently charged with gang robbery with violence by the use of a firearm. On 31 October 2014, he was convicted and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment with hard labour by the Court of First Instance of Abidjan. The Applicant appealed to the Court of Appeal in Abidjan which, by judgment No. 511 of 22 June 2016, upheld the judgment of the trial court. The Applicant avers that he admitted the charges against him at all stages of the proceedings. 4. The Applicant further avers that “for reasons beyond his control”, he did not file a cassation appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abidjan. However, he contends that he was unaware of the existence of this 1 Kouadio Kobena Fory v. Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, ACtHPR, Application No. 034/2017 (2 December 2021) (merits and reparations) 5 AfCLR 682, § 2; Suy Bi Gohoré Émile and Others v. Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (merits and reparations) (15 July 2020) 4 AfCLR 397, § 67; Ingabire Victoire Umuhoza v. Republic of Rwanda (jurisdiction) (3 June 2016) 1 AfCLR 540, § 69. 2