Procedure 13. The communication is dated 10th October 1989. It was originally sent to the Secretary General of the OAU, who forwarded it to the Commission. It was received on 12 th April 1990. 14. The Commission was seized of the communication at the 7 th Ordinary Session, and the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Justice of Egypt were notified on 31st May 1990. The Complainant was also notified of this decision. 15. Between 1990 and 1995, several letters were exchanged between the Secretariat and the parties to ascertain the various issues raised by the protagonists as well as the exhaustion of local remedies. 16. At the 17th session, held in March 1995 the Commission declared the communication admissible and it was decided that the case should be heard on its merits at the 18 th Session. 17. On 31st March 1995, a letter was sent to the Complainant stating that his case had been declared admissible at the 17th Session. 18. On 31st March and 20th May 1995 letters were sent to the government of Egypt requesting further information. 19. On 23rd June 1995 copies of the letter of 31st March and decision were sent to him. 20. On 1st September 1995, a letter was sent to the Complainant requesting him for further information with regard to the legal basis for the sentence he received. 21. On 11th September the Complainant responded to the Secretariat's letter of 1 st September. 22. On 30th November 1995 the Secretariat sent a Note Verbale to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt informing it that it would examine the case at the 19 th Session. 23. On 19th December 1995 a letter was sent to the Complainant acknowledging receipt of his previous three letters, and informing him that his case would be heard on its merits at the 19th Session. 24. On 20th December 1995 the Complainant wrote to the Secretariat with details on a court judgement relating to transit cases, enclosing a photocopied newspaper article describing the judgement, and a translation of it that he had made. 25. On 23rd January 1996, the Secretariat of the Commission sent a copy of the complainant's 20th December 1996 letter and a copy of the newspaper article to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt.