35. It contends that in the context of Mr. Oumar Mare's arrest, a search was conducted at his home and none of the items stolen from the Applicants' home was found there; that despite all that, the Applicants are intent on getting justice to prosecute and convict Mr. Oumar Mare as the author of the robbery, whereas no evidence of guilt has been found against him. 36.lt further contends that if the Applicants were so convinced that Mr. Oumar Mare was the perpetrator of the robbery, and given the alleged inaction of the Police and the Office of the State Attorney, they could have brought a civil action before the competent investigating judge; that, in reality, the Applicants were apprehensive of the uncertain outcome of such a procedure and would want this Court to substitute itself for the domestic Courts in order for them to obtain redress. 37. The Respondent, in conclusion, submits that it has not violated any rights of the Applicants in terms of the domestic proceedings. 38.ln their Reply, the Applicants maintain that filing a civil suit is not a remedy within the meaning of Article 56 (5) of the Charter; that in the Republic of Mali, a victim has the option of referring a case to the State Attorney or to an Investigating Judge; that the use of either option closes the other for the purposes of proper administration of justice; that, besides, the two procedures have the same finality, that is, investigation by an investigating judge. 39. They maintain that the attitude on the part of the judicial authorities of Mali of abandoning the procedure at the initial stage for over three (3) years constitutes an undue prolongation of the procedure within the meaning of Article 56 (5) of the Charter.

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