ÿWPC  Kè_A$v7°¨ù–Æ»ðÇV€£1êíÝy'R¥Zf_)8×â(úœ`˜hBØçßõ p᳜¼=£KêèZµýÓÜX”\,×{­&Ä ØÛáÂöæÁT–²À×xe‰ía·C¶/EåムE›íQ_ŠNÝÇm¾ÆsèB;¦‹ §1¾UèÊÈñˆ€Í§âe´bœÆœ×©è†±—"Lá\pâK‰8ñ=§dYMwî…QNCÄÕ#gGšø!¸T‹Í÷eî\,ý[I6ò)Bü„ü-Í×G…ÆrZfá²×Ù—q…Ãès€_–BÓ‘M“cO’íÓƒí(F·9<6÷*-­8—Vñ(Ùw/»‹™ §/ùÏ[ƒs /i &X9ñáÖ×¹ï£ã¥™¡vCS/Þ´¢¹ä¥™¼k³QÅ. ‚4ɧ­?#24+%ÌðSG,Ño†ˆ ò÷u/8e­k¢˜´nù‚5^J©Ðiþ'JC[w:×=BˆK‹Ù2 D‘‹¿tëOÝ= þÖâ«í—ËGq6šÖ@·š¶Ã òú^ÜNÙ}«9ã%^¸Ð›ÀcÅ/<ÚCÐãâTºÌ‘z]ý¥´=ã°¶®Ó-–êòz1U>BÌ€ 0nL 0iº 0Y# 0_| 0&ÛU6  7 0ÆG #Á UNÎ % M" (& NN ^ P w\ 4` t mv ô\  `‹&Times New Roman' United Nations Human Rights Website - Treaty Bodies Database - Document - Jurisprudence - 4nt - Jurisprudence - "Angie Dituri"0Angie Dituri .   <ÿÿ:Default ParaÔ€ôôôÔÔ€XXXÔ< ÿÿ:Normal (Web)Ô S ÔÓ =jSÓÓ =jSÓ6ÿÿ4HyperlinkóóòòÔ ÿ ÔóóÔ  Ô<ÿÿ:FollowedHypeóóòòÔ  ÔóóÔ  Ô<qyÿÿ:HTML TypewriÔ€ôôôÔÔK€<þ6X9`(‹Courier NewKÔÔ  ÔÔ€XXXÔÔS€ô\  `‹&Times New RomanSÔÔ  Ô<þ6X9`(‹Courier New#|x(ž¥Ì$¡¡ÒܰÒÒܰÒÔ..ÔÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÓ  ÓÔ€ XqôXX XÔÔ€XqôXX XqôÔÔÔ˜HP LaserJet 6P/6MP - StandardÈÐððÈÐ0(ÈhH  Z‹6Times New Roman Regular XMo", tQ+c(¤³prograÿU‹ÿÀÀÀÝ ƒ ¥Ì!ÝÒܰÒÒܰÒÔ..ÔÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÓ  ÓÔ€ XpàXX XÔÔ€XpàXX XpàÔÔÔÝ  ÝÔ_Ôò òCOMMITTEE€AGAINST€TORTUREÐ ° ÐÌòòR.€K.€v.€CanadaóóÐ |Ì ÐÌCommunication€No€42/1996Ð H˜ ÐÌ20€November€1997Ð  d ÐÌCAT/C/19/D/42/1996Ð à 0 ÐÌÌADMISSIBILITYó óÐ ’â  ÐòòóóÌÌòòòòSubmitted€byóó:€R.€K.€(name€withheld)(represented€by€counsel)€Ð D”  ÐÌòòState€partyóó:€Canada€Ð ` ÐÌòòDate€of€communicationóó:€22€February€1996óó€Ð Ü, ÐÌÌòòÓ  ÓÓ  ÓThe€Committee€against€Tortureóó,€established€under€article€17€of€the€Convention€againstÐ ŽÞ ÐTorture€and€Other€Cruel,€Inhuman€or€Degrading€Treatment€or€Punishment,€Ð tÄ ÐÌòòMeetingóó€on€20€November€1997,€Ð @ ÐÌòòAdoptsóó€the€following€decision:€Ð  \ ÐÌÓ²ÓÐ Ðò òòòDecision€on€admissibilityóóó óÐ ¾ ÐÓÓÌÌ1.€The€author€of€the€communication€is€Mr.€R.€K.,€a€Liberian€citizen€belonging€to€the€Ô_ÔKrahnÔ_ÔÐ p!À  Ðethnic€group,€born€on€30€November€1967,€currently€residing€in€Canada.€He€claims€that€hisÐ V"¦! Ðreturn€to€Liberia€would€constitute€a€violation€of€article€3€of€the€Convention€against€TortureÐ <#Œ" Ðby€Canada.€He€is€represented€by€counsel.€Ð "$r# ÐÌ2.1€The€author€states€that€his€uncle,€who€raised€him€following€the€death€of€his€father€whenÐ î%>!% Ðhe€was€two€years€old,€was€politically€active;€he€was€a€member€of€the€United€LiberationÐ Ô&$"& ÐMovement€of€Liberia€(Ô_ÔULIMOÔ_Ô).€In€1985,€members€of€the€Ô_ÔKrahnÔ_Ô€community€who€supportedÐ º' #' Ða€certain€political€candidate€were€accused€of€electoral€fraud.€Opposing€the€Ô_ÔKrahnÔ_Ô€and€inÐ  (ð#( Ðresponse€to€the€alleged€fraud,€another€political€party€was€founded€in€1987:€the€NationalÐ †)Ö$) ÐPatriotic€Front€of€Liberia€(Ô_ÔNPFLÔ_Ô).€Ð l*¼%* ÐÌ2.2€The€author€states€that€in€1990,€his€uncle€was€murdered€by€(military)€members€of€theÐ 8,ˆ', ÐÔ_ÔNPFLÔ_Ô.€They€also€detained€the€author's€cousin.€After€these€events,€the€author€decided€to€seekÐ -n(- Ðrefuge€in€the€Red€Cross€office.€He€paid€someone€to€help€him€to€go€to€Sierra€Leone;€heÐ ° Ðcrossed€the€border€with€five€other€persons.€In€Sierra€Leone,€the€author€hid€in€an€Ô_ÔULIMOÔ_ÔÐ –æ Ðoffice.€Ð |Ì ÐÌ2.3€One€night,€soldiers€from€the€Ô_ÔNPFLÔ_Ô€were€searching€for€Ô_ÔULIMOÔ_Ô€members€and€the€authorÐ H˜ Ðfled€to€Israel€using€his€Liberian€passport.€During€his€stay€in€Israel,€someone€stole€his€luggageÐ . ~ Ðand€documents.€Ð  d ÐÌ2.4€The€owner€of€the€place€where€he€was€staying€helped€him€to€flee€to€Canada,€where€heÐ à 0 Ðarrived€on€8€February€1993.€On€26€February€1994,€the€author€married€a€Canadian€woman;Ð Æ   Ða€child€was€born€on€19€April€1995.€Ð ¬ ü  ÐÌ2.5€Immediately€after€arriving€in€Canada,€the€author€requested€political€asylum.€On€20€AprilÐ xÈ  Ð1994,€his€application€was€dismissed€by€the€Immigration€and€Refugee€Board€of€Canada.€TheÐ ^®  Ðauthor€applied€to€the€Federal€Court€of€Canada€for€leave€to€appeal€against€the€Board'sÐ D”  Ðdecision.€The€Court€rejected€his€request.€On€15€December€1995,€a€request€lodged€by€theÐ *z  Ðapplicant€in€pursuance€of€the€post„claim€risk€assessment€process€was€rejected.€The€authorÐ ` Ðwas€told€to€leave€the€country€before€22€February€1996.€Ð öF ÐÌ2.6€It€further€appears€from€the€communication€that€the€author's€wife€is€sponsoring€hisÐ Â Ðapplication€for€immigration€to€Canada.€On€20€December€1995,€the€immigration€authoritiesÐ ¨ø Ðrejected€the€author's€request€for€his€expulsion€to€be€suspended€pending€the€outcome€of€theÐ ŽÞ Ðprocedure€for€examination€of€the€immigration€application,€which€was€already€under€way.Ð tÄ ÐThe€author€complains€that€the€Canadian€authorities€refuse€to€accept€the€bona€fide€characterÐ Zª Ðof€his€marriage.€Immigration€officials€are€said€to€have€consistently€refused€to€grant€his€wifeÐ @ Ðan€interview€to€prove€the€validity€of€the€marriage.€Ð &v ÐÌòòThe€complaintóó€Ð òB ÐÌ3.1€According€to€the€author,€if€he€returns€to€Liberia€he€will€be€killed€like€his€uncle.€ToÐ ¾ Ðsubstantiate€his€statements€concerning€the€serious€human€rights€violations€occurring€inÐ ¤ô ÐLiberia,€where€several€factions€are€confronting€one€another,€the€author€quotes€severalÐ Š Ú Ðextracts€from€a€report€by€Amnesty€International,€as€well€as€Country€Reports€on€HumanÐ p!À  ÐRights€Practices€from€1994.€Ð V"¦! ÐÌ3.2€The€author€claims€that€his€return€to€Liberia€would€constitute€a€violation€of€article€3€ofÐ "$r# Ðthe€Convention€against€Torture€by€Canada.€He€requests€the€Committee€to€ask€Canada€notÐ %X $ Ðto€expel€him€while€his€communication€is€under€consideration€by€the€Committee.€Ð î%>!% ÐÌòòComments€of€the€State€partyóó€Ð º' #' ÐÌ4.€On€19€March€1996,€the€Committee€forwarded€the€communication€to€the€State€partyÐ †)Ö$) Ðthrough€its€Special€Rapporteur€to€enable€it€to€draw€up€its€comments,€and€requested€it€not€toÐ l*¼%* Ðexpel€the€author€while€his€communication€was€under€consideration€by€the€Committee;€theÐ R+¢&+ Ðrequest€was€granted.€Ð 8,ˆ', ÐÐ -n(- Ð5.1€In€a€note€dated€9€September€1996,€the€State€party€contests€the€admissibility€of€theÐ ° Ðcommunication.€It€points€out€that€the€author€had€not€exhausted€the€domestic€remediesÐ –æ Ðavailable€before€submitting€his€communication€to€the€Committee€against€Torture.€InÐ |Ì Ðaddition,€his€communication€did€not€demonstrate€the€minimum€justification€needed€to€meetÐ b² Ðthe€requirements€of€article€22€of€the€Convention€against€Torture€and€Other€Cruel,€InhumanÐ H˜ Ðor€Degrading€Treatment€or€Punishment.€Ð . ~ ÐÌ5.2€The€State€party€explains€that€throughout€the€Canadian€immigration€process,€the€authorÐ ú J Ðessentially€advanced€the€same€allegations€as€those€he€is€putting€forward€in€support€of€hisÐ à 0 Ðcommunication€to€the€Committee€against€Torture.€He€claimed€that€his€uncle€had€been€aÐ Æ   Ðmember€of€Ô_ÔULIMOÔ_Ô€and€had€been€killed€by€the€Ô_ÔNPFLÔ_Ô,€an€armed€faction€which€opposed€it,Ð ¬ ü  Ðon€account€of€his€political€activities.€The€author€claimed€that,€because€of€his€relationshipÐ ’â  Ðwith€his€uncle,€his€life€or€his€safety€would€be€in€danger€if€he€returned€to€Liberia.€Specifically,Ð xÈ  Ðhe€feared€that€he€would€be€tortured.€Ð ^®  ÐÌ5.3€The€State€party€points€out€that€the€investigations€carried€out€by€the€Canadian€authoritiesÐ *z  Ðrevealed€major€gaps€concerning€fundamental€and€crucial€aspects€of€the€author's€claims.€ItÐ ` Ðwas€impossible€to€establish€that€he€was€of€Liberian€origin€and€that€his€return€to€LiberiaÐ öF Ðwould€entail€genuine€risks€for€his€life€or€his€safety.€Inconsistencies€in€his€statementsÐ Ü, Ðseriously€undermined€his€credibility€and€compounded€an€absence€of€objective€proof€of€hisÐ Â Ðallegations.€Ð ¨ø ÐÌ5.4€The€State€party€holds€that€various€domestic€remedies€were€open€to€the€author€toÐ tÄ Ðchallenge€the€conclusions€of€the€Canadian€authorities.€Those€remedies,€had€he€availedÐ Zª Ðhimself€of€them,€would€have€enabled€him€to€demonstrate€as€far€as€possible€that€theÐ @ Ðinconsistencies€noted€in€his€statements€were€merely€apparent,€and€that€his€claims€wereÐ &v Ðbacked€up€by€a€rational€explanation€of€which€those€responsible€for€taking€a€decision€on€hisÐ  \ Ðcase€were€unaware.€Yet€he€had€not€maintained€and€pursued€a€request€for€judicial€review€byÐ òB Ðthe€Federal€Court,€and€he€had€not€made€a€request€for€judicial€review€by€the€Federal€CourtÐ Ø( Ðof€two€other€decisions€taken€by€the€Canadian€authorities.€Nor€had€he€made€any€request€forÐ ¾ Ða€ministerial€waiver€on€humanitarian€grounds.€Ð ¤ô ÐÌ5.5€The€remedies,€had€the€author€pursued€them,€might€have€brought€him€relief€within€aÐ p!À  Ðreasonable€time€limit.€All€of€them€offered€him€a€chance€to€correct€and€explain€the€gaps€inÐ V"¦! Ðhis€dossier€before€the€date€of€application€of€the€expulsion€measure€against€him,€and€theÐ <#Œ" Ðremedies€ultimately€held€out€the€possibility€that€he€would€be€able€to€settle€in€Canada.€Ð "$r# ÐÌ5.6€The€State€party€claims€that,€because€of€Mr.€R.€Ô_ÔK.'sÔ_Ô€failure€to€pursue€those€remediesÐ î%>!% Ðbefore€appealing€to€the€Committee€against€Torture,€his€communication€fails€to€satisfy€theÐ Ô&$"& Ðcondition€set€out€in€article€22,€paragraph€5€(b)€of€the€Convention€against€Torture€and€OtherÐ º' #' ÐCruel,€Inhuman€or€Degrading€Treatment€or€Punishment.€It€calls€on€the€Committee€to€declareÐ  (ð#( Ðthe€communication€inadmissible.€Ð †)Ö$) ÐÌòòCounsel's€commentsóó€Ð R+¢&+ ÐÌ6.1€In€his€reply,€dated€20€February€1997,€counsel€describes€as€speculation€the€State€party'sÐ -n(- Ðcomments€that,€had€he€availed€himself€of€the€remedies€referred€to,€the€author€would€haveÐ ° Ðhad€an€opportunity€to€demonstrate€that€the€Government€was€mistaken€and€to€win€his€case.€Ð –æ ÐÌ6.2€He€expresses€surprise€that€the€State€party€should€argue€that€the€author€had€not€exhaustedÐ b² Ðall€remedies,€when€the€Government€itself€had€summoned€him€to€the€local€immigration€officeÐ H˜ Ðto€tell€him€to€arrange€for€his€departure.€On€that€occasion,€an€immigration€official€confirmedÐ . ~ Ðto€the€author€that€he€must€report€for€expulsion€to€Liberia.€Since€that€confirmation€had€beenÐ  d Ðgiven€by€an€immigration€official€responsible€for€expulsions,€the€author€was€in€no€doubt€thatÐ ú J Ðhis€deportation€to€Liberia€was€imminent,€and€that€it€was€to€take€place€shortly€after€the€firstÐ à 0 Ðsummons.€Indeed,€if€it€had€not€been€for€the€appeal€lodged€by€the€author€with€the€CommitteeÐ Æ   Ðagainst€Torture,€arrangements€would€have€been€made€and€the€author€would€already€haveÐ ¬ ü  Ðbeen€deported€to€Liberia€without€further€delay.€There€is€no€doubt€in€the€applicant's€mind€„Ð ’â  Ðindeed,€Canada's€machinations€in€that€regard€were€quite€clear€„€that€the€departmentÐ xÈ  Ðresponsible€for€expulsions€was€preparing€to€deport€him.€Ð ^®  ÐÌ6.3€It€is€submitted€that€the€Canadian€Government€had€every€opportunity€to€remedy€its€failureÐ *z  Ðto€meet€its€international€obligations€but€that€its€bad€faith€and€totally€negative€attitude€to€theÐ ` Ðauthor's€dossier€was€illustrative€of€its€lack€of€will€to€assist€him.€In€that€regard,€counsel€drawsÐ öF Ðattention€to€the€fact€that€the€author€had€first€exhausted€all€the€refugee€status€determinationÐ Ü, Ðprocedures,€and€that€he€had€been€given€a€negative€response.€Moreover,€the€CanadianÐ Â ÐGovernment€itself€admits€that€many€applicants€in€the€same€circumstances€as€the€author€andÐ ¨ø Ðfrom€the€same€country€are€granted€refugee€status.€Ð ŽÞ ÐÌ6.4€Regarding€the€request€made€to€the€Federal€Court€for€judicial€review,€counsel€explainsÐ Zª Ðthat€lodging€such€a€request€in€no€way€guarantees€success,€as€a€very€small€percentage€of€suchÐ @ Ðrequests€are€granted.€Moreover,€even€if€in€theory€applicants€have€only€to€show€that€they€haveÐ &v Ða€"fairly€arguable€case",€leave€to€appeal€is€granted€in€fewer€and€fewer€cases.€In€principle,€thatÐ  \ Ðmakes€the€appeal€procedure€in€question€an€illusion€for€the€vast€majority€of€refugees,Ð òB Ðincluding€the€author.€Ð Ø( ÐÌ6.5€In€any€event,€since€the€applicant€was€married,€he€had€been€advised€to€lodge€a€request€forÐ ¤ô Ðsponsorship€on€grounds€of€marriage,€which€in€view€of€his€circumstances€had€a€good€chanceÐ Š Ú Ðof€success;€but€the€request€had€not€been€successful.€Ð p!À  ÐÌ6.6€Regarding€the€State€party's€claims€that€the€author€had€an€alleged€right€to€appeal€to€theÐ <#Œ" ÐFederal€Court,€counsel€states€that€in€actual€fact€such€appeals€are€non„existent,€time„barredÐ "$r# Ðor€totally€ineffective€and€illusory,€since€they€are€inaccessible€and€discretionary€and€in€no€wayÐ %X $ Ðprevent€the€Canadian€Government€from€going€ahead€with€the€deportation€of€the€author€inÐ î%>!% Ðany€event.€Ð Ô&$"& ÐÌ6.7€Counsel€points€out€that€the€Canadian€Government€is€very€well€aware€that€access€to€suchÐ  (ð#( Ðprocedures€is€almost€never€granted€in€practice,€and€that€in€any€event€they€do€not€prevent€theÐ †)Ö$) ÐCanadian€Government€from€proceeding€with€the€expulsion.€Ð l*¼%* ÐÌòòIssues€and€proceedings€before€the€Committeeóó€Ð 8,ˆ', ÐÐ -n(- ÐÔ_Ô7.1€Before€considering€any€claims€contained€in€a€communication,€the€Committee€againstÐ ° ÐTorture€must€decide€whether€or€not€it€is€admissible€under€article€22€of€the€Convention.€Ð –æ ÐÌ7.2€In€accordance€with€article€22,€paragraph€5€(b)€of€the€Convention,€the€Committee€doesÐ b² Ðnot€consider€any€communication€unless€it€has€ascertained€that€the€author€has€exhausted€allÐ H˜ Ðavailable€domestic€remedies;€this€rule€does€not€apply€where€it€has€been€established€that€theÐ . ~ Ðapplication€of€the€remedies€has€been€or€would€be€unreasonably€prolonged€or€that€it€isÐ  d Ðunlikely€to€bring€effective€relief€to€the€alleged€victim.€In€the€present€case,€the€authorÐ ú J Ðacknowledges€that€he€has€not€pursued€a€request€for€judicial€review€by€the€Federal€Court€andÐ à 0 Ðhas€not€lodged€a€request€for€a€ministerial€waiver€on€humanitarian€grounds.€Even€if€the€authorÐ Æ   Ðclaims€that€these€remedies€would€be€illusory,€he€has€furnished€no€evidence€that€they€wouldÐ ¬ ü  Ðbe€unlikely€to€succeed.€The€Committee€notes€that€the€conditions€laid€down€in€article€22,Ð ’â  Ðparagraph€5€(b),€of€the€Convention€have€not€been€met.€Ð xÈ  ÐÌ8.€The€Committee€consequently€decides:€Ð D”  ÐÌ(a)€That€the€communication€is€inadmissible;€Ð ` ÐÌ(b)€That€this€decision€shall€be€communicated€to€the€author€of€the€communication€and€to€theÐ Ü, ÐState€party.€Ð  ÐÌ[Done€in€English,€French,€Spanish€and€Russian,€the€French€text€being€the€original€version.]€Ð ŽÞ ÐÝ‚ÿÿÿÝÔ€ôÃ@òXXpàÔÔ€ô:ròòôÃ@ÔÔÔÝ  ÝÌÝ‚ÿÿÿL=€ÝÝÔ€X×|Xòô:rÔÔ€XpàXXX×|ÔÔÔÝ  ÝÓTÓÔ€ôÃ@òXXpàÔò ò€Ô€XpàXòôÃ@Ôó óÐ 0€ Ð