ii. Ms Sarah Duncan MWAIPOPO, Deputy Solicitor General, Office of the Solicitor General; iii. Ms Caroline Kitana CHIPETA, Director of Legal Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation; iv. Ms Nkasori SARAKIKYA, Assistant Director, Human Rights, Principal State Attorney, Attorney General’s Chambers; v. Ms Aidah KISUMO, Senior State Attorney, Attorney General’s Chambers; and vi. Ms Blandina KASAGAMA, Legal Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation. After deliberation, Renders this Judgment: I. THE PARTIES 1. Reuben Juma and Gawani Nkende (hereinafter referred to as “the First Applicant” and “the Second Applicant” respectively or “the Applicants” jointly) are both nationals of Tanzania who were convicted and sentenced to thirty (30) years’ imprisonment for the offence of rape. They challenge the manner in which their trials were conducted in domestic courts. 2. The Applications are filed against the United Republic of Tanzania (hereinafter referred to as “the Respondent State”), which became a Party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (hereinafter referred to as “the Charter”) on 21 October 1986 and the Protocol on 10 February 2006. It further deposited, on 29 March 2010, the Declaration under Article 34(6) of the Protocol through which it accepted the jurisdiction of the Court to receive cases from individuals and Non-Governmental Organisations. On 21 November 2019, the Respondent State deposited, with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, an instrument withdrawing its Declaration. The Court has held that this withdrawal has no effect on pending and new cases filed before the entry into force of the said 2