45. In view of the foregoing, the Court finds that the Application meets all the admissibility requirements under Rules 50(2)(a) and 50(2)(g) of the Rules and therefore declares it admissible. VIII. MERITS 46. The Court notes that the Applicant alleges violation of the right to full equality before the law and equal protection of the law (A), the right to the presumption of innocence (B), the right to participate freely in the government of his country (C), the right to access the public service of his country (D), and the right to vote and to be elected (E). 47. The Court will examine these allegations successively. A. Alleged violation of the right to equality before the law and of the right to equal protection of the law 48. The Applicant alleges that the Respondent State violated his right to equality before the law and his right to equal protection of the law, protected by Article 3 of the Charter and Article 26 of the ICCPR. 49. Having defaulted, the Respondent State did not file any submission. 50. Article 3 of the Charter provides: 1. Every individual shall be equal before the law. 2. Every individual shall be entitled to equal protection of the law. 51. Article 26 of the ICCPR provides: All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without discrimination to equal protection of the law. In this respect, the law shall prohibit discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any grounds such as race, colour, sex, language, 12