Automated Summary
Key Facts
Maître Traore Moussa, an Ivorian lawyer, was convicted in 2021 for abuse of trust and embezzlement by the Abidjan tribunal, receiving a 5-year prison sentence and a 500,000 FCFA fine. He secured provisional release via the Court of Appeal in 2021, but the prosecutor appealed this decision, maintaining his detention under Côte d'Ivoire's Code of Criminal Procedure Article 605. The ECOWAS Court ruled Article 605 incompatible with international human rights norms and ordered its removal. The Court found his continued detention arbitrary and unlawful under the African Charter and ICCPR, ordering immediate release and 20 million FCFA in moral damages.
Issues
- Whether the applicant's prolonged detention, justified by the respondent state as a procedural measure under Article 605, violated the presumption of innocence as enshrined in the African Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Whether the respondent state's maintenance of the applicant in detention under Article 605 of Côte d'Ivoire's Code of Criminal Procedure, despite a court-ordered provisional release, constitutes an arbitrary detention in violation of international human rights norms, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Holdings
- The court declares itself competent to adjudicate the case under the provisions of the ECOWAS Court of Justice Protocol.
- The detention of the applicant is ruled arbitrary and illegal under Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, Article 9(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Articles 3 and 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- The defendant state is ordered to release the applicant immediately without delay.
- The applicant's other claims (including damages and expedited procedure) are declared unfounded.
- The defendant state must submit a report to the court within three months detailing measures taken to implement the ruling.
- The defendant state is condemned to pay 20,000,000 FCFA in compensation for moral damages caused by the arbitrary detention.
- The applicant's request is declared admissible as it meets the requirements of non-anonymity and lack of prior international jurisdictional review.
- The court finds no violation of the applicant's right to presumption of innocence as defined by international human rights instruments.
Remedies
- The court awarded the applicant a sum of 20,000,000 (twenty million) FCFA in compensation for moral damages suffered due to the violation of their right to liberty and security.
- The court ordered the immediate and unconditional release of the applicant from provisional detention at the Maison d'Arrêt et de Correction d'Abidjan (MACA).
- The defendant state was required to submit a report to the court within three (3) months of notification detailing measures taken to implement the court's orders, including the release of the applicant and removal of the contested legal provision.
Monetary Damages
20000000.00
Legal Principles
- The Court concluded that the applicant's provisional detention while awaiting final judgment did not violate the presumption of innocence (articles 7(1)(b) of the African Charter, 14(2) of the ICCPR, and 11(1) of the UDHR). No evidence was presented to show the applicant was prejudged guilty or denied full defense rights before a competent court established culpability.
- The Court held that maintaining the applicant's detention under article 605 of Côte d'Ivoire's Code of Criminal Procedure constitutes an arbitrary violation of the right to liberty and security (articles 6 of the African Charter, 9(1) of the ICCPR, and 3/9 of the UDHR). The provision's indefinite suspension of liberty post-appeal was deemed incompatible with international human rights norms.
Precedent Name
- INGARBIRE HUMUHOZA VICTOIRE v. REPUBLIC OF RWANDA
- OSGAR JOSIAH v. UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA
- CHIEF EBRIMAH MANNEH c. RÉPUBLIQUE DE GAMBIE
- Jerry Ugokwe contre la République fédérale du Nigeria
- FEDERATION OF AFRICAN JOURNALISTS & 4 OTHERS AGAINST THE REPUBLIC OF GAMBIA
- ONYACHI ET NJOKA c. TANZANIE
- BADINI SALFO c. RÉPUBLIQUE DU BURKINA FASO
- BENSON OLUA OKOMBA c. RÉPUBLIQUE DU BENIN
- DAME HADJITOU MANI KORAOU c. RÉPUBLIQUE DU NIGER
- BATIONO IDA FLEUR PELAGIE c. BURKINA FASO
- THE INCORPORATED TRUSTEES OF LAWS AND RIGHTS AWARENESS INITIATIVE AGAINST THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
- MARTIN GEGENHEIMER & 4 ORS.c. THE REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA & ANOR
- DJOT BAYI TALBIA & AUTRES c. REPUBLIQUE FEDERALE DU NIGERIA & AUTRES
- BARBERÁ, MESSEGÚÉ ET JABARDO c. ESPAGNE
- M. KODJO Alain Victor c. l'Etat de Côte d'Ivoire
Cited Statute
- Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques
- Lignes directrices des Nations unies sur les appels et procédures relatives au droit de toute personne privée de sa liberté
- Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme
- Charte africaine des droits de l'homme et des peuples
- Code de Procédure Pénale de Côte d'Ivoire
Judge Name
- Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro GONÇALVES
- Edward Amoako ASANTE
- Sengu Mohamed KOROMA
Passage Text
- 74. A cet égard, la Cour considère que, bien que la détention soit légale comme le permet l'article 605, elle est néanmoins arbitraire pour toutes les raisons mentionnées ici. La Cour considère donc que le maintien en détention du requérant par le défendeur à la suite d'une ordonnance de mise en liberté rendue par la cour d'appel est arbitraire et constitue une violation de son droit à la liberté et à la sécurité de sa personne.
- 84. A cet égard, la Cour conclut que le défendeur n'a pas violé le droit du requérant à la présomption d'innocence, prévu aux articles 7 (1) (b) de la Charte africaine, 14 (2) du PIDCP et 11 (1) de la DUDH.
- 34. Elle déclare donc le recours recevable.