investigate when violations have occurred and ensure thorough investigations. Failure to do all the above,
is a violation of Article 1 of the African Charter.
Decision of the African Commission
275. From the above reasoning, tho African Commission;
i. Observes that the Respondent State is in violation of Articles 1, 2, 3, 5, 9(2), 16(1), 18(3) and 26 of the
African Charter;
ii. That there was no violation of Articles 7(1)(a) and 16(2) of the African Charter by the Respondent State;
iii. Request an amendment of laws in the Respondent State, to bring them in line with the African Charter;
iv. Request compensation to each of the Victims in the amount of EP 57,000, as requested by the
Complainant, for the physical and emotional damages/traumas they suffered;
v. Urges the Respondent State to investigate the violations, and bring the perpetrators to justice;
vi. Urges the Respondent State to ratify the Women' Protocol; and
vii. Urges the Respondent State to report on the steps it has taken to implement these decisions in
accordance with Rule 112 (2) of its Rules of Procedure, within one-hundred and eighty (180) days.
Done in Banjul, The Gambia during the 10th Extra-Ordinary Session of the African Commission on
Human and Peoples' Rights, 12 to 16 December 2011.
1 Egypt ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on 20 March 1984, and is therefore a
State Party.
2 Complainants submission on the Admissibility brief, para 18.
3 Communications 147/95 and 149/96- Sir Dawda K. Jawara v. The Gambia (2000) ACHPR.
4 Communication 48/90, 50/91, 89/93- Amnesty International, Comité Loosli Bachelard, Lawyers'
Committee for Human Rights, Association of Members of the Episcopal Conference of East Africa v. Sudan
(1999) ACHPR.
5 The Complainants refer to the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights, Assenov and Others v.
Bulgaria, (1998), para 86.
6 Communication 71/92- Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme V. Zambia (2003)
ACHPR, para. 13.
7 HJ Steiner & P Alston (2000) 'International Human Rights in Context Law, Politics, Morals' (and Edition
Oxford University Press) at 797.
8 Communication 155/96- Social and Economic Rights Action Centre and Another v. Nigeria (SERAC
Case) (2001) ACHPR.
9 MC v Bulgaria [2003] ECHR.
10 Communication 211/98- Legal Resources Foundation v. Zambia (2001) ACHPR.
11 Ibid para 63.
12 Communication 210/98- Association Mauritanienne des droits de l'homme v Mauritania (2000) ACHPR.
13 Ibid para 131.
14 Communication 241/01- Purohit and Moore v. The Gambia (2003) ACHPR.
15 R v Ewanchuk [1999] 1 S.0 R. 330.
16 Ibid.
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