fled his country for fear of his life after being detained and tortured in a detention
camp. The African Commission in both communications held that Articles 12( 1)
and 12(2) of the African Charter were violated.
186.ln the same vein, the African Commission in the present Communication, finds that
the Victim fleeing the country and not returning to Sudan due to fear of persecution,
violates his right to freedom of movement and residence. Accordingly, the African
Commission finds that the Respondent State violated Article 12(1) and 12(2) of the
African Charter.
Alleged Violation of Article 16 of the African Charter
187.Article 16 of the African Charter guarantees that:
1. "Every individual shall have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of
physical and mental health.
2. State Parties to the present Charter shall take the necessary measures to
protect the health of their people and to ensure that they receive medical
attention when they are sick'.
188.The Complainant submits that the Victim was denied access to medical treatment
for the entire duration of his detention and was subjected to a range of acts of
torture that caused extreme physical and mental pain and anguish in violation of
Article 16 of the African Charter.
189.The right to the highest attainable standard of health encompasses the availability,
accessibility, acceptability, and quality of health care, services, and conditions. This
right imposes an obligation on the State: to respect, fulfil, and protect it, ensuring
that individuals can effectively exercise their right to health without discrimination
or undue restriction. The African Commission's Robben Island Guidelines provide
that states should "[e]nsure that all persons deprived of their liberty have access to
medical services and assistance". 133 The Luanda Guidelines also provide that
arrested persons have the right to urgent medical assistance, to request and
receive a medical examination and to obtain access to existing medical facilities.
190.The African Commission in Malawi African Association and Others vs Mauritania
and Monim Elgak, Osman Hummeida and Amir Sulivan (Represented by FIDH and
OMCT) v Sudan 134 and in International PEN and Others (on behalf of Ken SaroWiwa Jnr) v Nigeria 135 held that the State has an obligation to respect the right to
health in detention and emphasized that the responsibility for the physical integrity
and welfare of detainees lies with the competent State authorities.
191 .The African Commission finds that the denial of medical attentio~ Qi•'a'ssistance
to the Victim for the entire duration of his detention, violates hi~Jg_ot 1o'li~'alth~aQd
thus the Respondent State has violated Article 16 of the Africa.rf Cf, • er.
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