Khalifa v Egypt (Communication 656 of 2017)
Observed later treatment
No later-treatment classification is recorded for this judgment.
Citator coverage is limited to judgments in the Wakilii corpus and source-matched treatment records. Absence of a signal is not an assertion that the case remains good law.
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Holding
The African Commission struck out the communication for lack of diligent prosecution. The complainant was required to present admissibility arguments within two months of the seizure decision but failed to do so by the 09 August 2017 deadline. Despite subsequent correspondence, the complainant made no submissions, did not respond, and did not request an extension of time. The Commission found the complainant showed no interest in prosecuting the communication.
Outcome
Communication struck out for failure to prosecute
Facts
The complainants alleged that Anas Ahmed Khalifa, a 30-year-old Egyptian national, was arrested on 04 May 2014 without reason, detained incommunicado for one month, and tortured into admitting fabricated charges. He was allegedly tried by a military court despite being a civilian and sentenced to life imprisonment on 01 March 2016 in an unfair trial based on evidence obtained under torture. The complainants alleged he was held in Aqerab Prison in solitary confinement for eight months in harsh conditions after going on hunger strike, was force-fed, beaten, and denied medical care. The communication was filed on 30 March 2017 alleging violations of multiple provisions of the African Charter. The Commission was seized on 08-22 May 2017 and requested admissibility submissions by 09 August 2017, but the complainant never responded.
Issues
- Whether the communication should be struck out for lack of diligent prosecution where the complainant failed to submit admissibility arguments within the stipulated time and did not respond to subsequent correspondence.
Orders
- Communication struck out for lack of diligent prosecution.
Rules and key headnotes
Cases cited (4)
- Mohammed Ramadan Mahmoud Fayad Allah v Egypt (Communication 594 of 2015)
- Ahmed Mohammed Ali Subaie v Egypt (Communication 612 of 2016)
- Journal Echos du Nord v Gabon (Communication 412 of 2012)
- Kofi Yamagnane v Togo (Communication 387 of 2010)
Full judgment
The original judgment as reported. Read the original PDF before relying on any passage.