2020, dismissed his appeal pursuant to Article 4 of Ordinance No. 2020-356 of 8 April 2020 amending the Electoral Code. The Abidjan CFI held that the Applicant had been sentenced in absentia to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 10,000,000 CFA francs by the Abidjan Magistrate’s Court for conspiracy in group armed robbery and embezzlement of public funds. 5. Following this decision confirming his removal from the voter’s register on account of the above-mentioned conviction and against which, as it emerges from the record, no local remedy was available, the Applicant seized this Court, believing that the situation was in violation of his civil and political rights. B. Alleged violations 6. The Applicant alleges violation of the following rights: i. the right to equality before the law and equal protection of the law, protected by Article 3 of the Charter; ii. the right to a fair trial, including the right to the presumption of innocence, protected by Article 7(1)(b) of the Charter; iii. the right to participate freely in the government of one’s country, protected by Article 13(1) of the Charter; iv. the right of access to the public service of his country, protected by Article 13(2) of the Charter; v. the right to vote and to be elected, protected by Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (hereinafter referred to as “ICCPR”). III. SUMMARY OF THE PROCEDURE BEFORE THE COURT 7. On 7 September 2020, the Application was filed at the Registry of the Court together with a request for provisional measures, which were served on the Respondent State for its Response within 90 days and 72 hours respectively. 3