these States involved in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, or the Charter of the Organization of African Unity or the provisions of the present Charter.’ 114. The Complainants aver that the present complaint has not been submitted before or settled by any other international investigation or dispute settlement mechanism. The Commission is satisfied that the issues and claims in this Communication have not been brought before any other international forum. Consequently, the Commission finds that the Communication satisfies Article 56(7) of the Charter. The Decision of the Commission on Admissibility 115. Given the above, the Commission declares this Communication Admissible in accordance with Article 56 of the Charter. The Merits The Complainants’ submissions on the Merits 116. The Complainants contend that the Respondent State's systematic disruption of peaceful demonstrations, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and public participation through arbitrary arrests and the disproportionate use of force violates the provisions of Articles 1, 9, 10, 11, and 13(1) of the Charter. Alleged violation of Article 9 of the Charter (The right to Freedom of Expression and Access to Information) 117. The Complainants claim that the Respondent State, to suppress dissent and force independent voices to practice self-censorship, engaged in harassment, prosecution, and intimidation of journalists. They highlight that before the 2015 elections, independent media outlets were heavily suppressed, leading many privately-owned publications to resort to self-censorship or cease operations entirely. They add that in 2014, approximately 22 journalists, bloggers, and publishers faced criminal charges, while six publications were forcibly closed due to Government harassment. 118. The Complainants submit that the Justice Ministry brought charges against five independent publications and a weekly newspaper in April 2014, citing offenses such as disseminating false information, inciting violence, and undermining public confidence in the ~ 21 ~ African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 31 Bijilo Annex Layout, Kombo North District, West Coast Region, The Gambia, Phone: (220) 230 4361 Fax: (220) 441 05 04 Email: au-banjul@africa-union.org https:/achpr.au.int/