provisions of the Charter or of any legal instrument of the African Union, in fulfilment of Rule 50(2)(g) of the Rules. It therefore complies with Rule 50(2)(g) of the Rules. 52. In light of the foregoing, the Court holds that the instant Application fulfils all admissibility requirements set out under Article 56 of the Charter and Rule 50(2) of the Rules, and accordingly, declares it admissible. VII. MERITS 53. The Applicant alleges that the Respondent State violated his rights to i) equality before the law and equal protection of the law; ii) respect for his dignity; and iii) free legal assistance. A. Alleged violation of the right to equality before the law and equal protection of the law 54. The Applicant alleges that the Court of Appeal upheld the his conviction, despite the absence of the essential elements of the case, in violation of Article 3(1) and (2) of the Charter. He further contends that the said court did not ascertain why the victim did not report the crime earlier, which casts doubt on his credibility. 55. The Applicant contends that the Court of Appeal failed to observe that the prosecution’s evidence had to be corroborated by other evidence, as the trial court was not convinced that the victim was conscious of the duty to be truthful, in addition to the fact that the witness’s age was not proven by any other document. 56. The Applicant further submits that the trial court’s conviction was based exclusively on the testimony of prosecution witnesses. According to the Applicant, the trial court did so because it considered that it was not for the Applicant to prove his innocence but for the prosecution to prove its 13