ACHPR
African Commission on
Human and Peoples' Rights
Human Rights our
Collective Responsibility
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opportunity to do so. In such a situation, the Commission has always been guided by
international best practice. This was reiterated in Alhassan Abubakar v Ghana where
it held "like other international monitoring organs, where the respondent Government does
not provide any substantive information in reply to the petitioners' allegations, the African
Commission will decide the facts as alleged by the complainant."42 In light of this
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observation, the Commission will determine the merits of this Communication based
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on the facts alleged by the Second Complainant and s,upporttng;evidence
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provided.
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The Commission notes that there wa~ a clela)'>o~76 day~' on the part of the
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agents of the Respondent State before discl~~,iAg,the reasonsforthe. arrest and the
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charges brought against the Second CornJPl~ihant:<{~e,questioitjs whether ,fKisdelay
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was unreasonable to warrant a violation 6£Article 7 0£:the Charter;'
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In its Principles and GUid~:lir:\~~:f:~,
theIRig~;!~6,~~
Fair Trial and-Legal Assistance
in Africa, the Commission provides that '(a11yonewhq,(s:,qrrestedshall be informed, at the
time of arrest, of the reason~f;r'his. or her ar~~';t;~ii'dshall~;'~l~{Jiijptlyinformed, in a language
he or she understancJ~rBi'·(Jny'~1i'lztges
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The right to be promptly
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informed of the ,!,¢asons for 'arrest <1R.d
J4e charges' levelled against an arrested person
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is also reiteratedsby
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the Commission 'lifitsl.:Guidelines on the Conditions of Arrest,
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Police Custody '~~~'Ere-Trial Deten~\on i~ ~frica.44 This requirement is fundamental
to the, fair trial rigl~t~',(9!a person /~¢cause every person has a right to liberty and
security ~hhE:!person i~~~~~~2~~~9-f1b~
subjected to arbitrary or unlawful arrest and/ or
detention. Ther~fore,
where a person's right to. liberty is curtailed as a result of being
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arrested 'qnd/or detainedhe
provide the ':opportunity
or she must be promptly informed about it so as to
for the lawfulness of the arrest! detention be challenged
promptly in a court of law by the arreste~/ detained person, if necessary.v In Media
42 ACHPR, Communication
103/93' Alhassan Abubakar v Ghana,' para 10
ACHPR, Principles and Guidelines on The Right to a Fair Trial and Legal Assistance in Africa - ~lQnS
applicable to
Arrest and Detention 2003, para 2(a),
,
~44 ACHPR, Guidelines on the Conditions of Arrest, Police Custo~y and Pre-Trial Detention in.,A'~i~~(ljlUan1!lhl·G~1'~- es)
2015, para 4(b) and para 5.
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4S A similar requirement is provided in Article 9(2) of the ICCPR: The Constitution of the FE!~~ralDefnoeratic Rep~bll.0
'I a so provl ld es th at persons arreste d 1rave thee rIg
ri h t to b e Iinf ormec I promp tlv.J
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the reasons for their arrest and of any charge against them",
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36 I P age
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The African Comnt\'s~ion:on,Hum\~ andd)e~plesl
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31 Bijilo ;A.nne;·'~YO~t:~6rnbO<No1t~Drst~t,
.,est~Q,~?'h~~gion§~fubia
Phone: (220) 230 4' ;~~~P~1
0504
Email: au-banjul@africa-union.org
https:/achpr,au.inVO
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