ÿWPC)  UKÙèÙêIÈ àÙiTÅkX Þçîê àt·1È .꾤ɳQæŸwÿæ7BPøÔj½ŠX1†J²CÎQÕœ¹–HSk¸žTtôŒ,#0ûÚíø‰Í®M*Zf³å—hÃÿÐkgŒætš-á*Æ\)sŠwD÷&J’3Ä {KÏ­»"¦9•Á&Òž–Ê¥²|7ˆ»@ú^ –¿%x /™¨ ˶«£fhdUþßÜ¡nûXy¶W·••ó1ã¼N¿˜  jßê¢;ÙqRÕù©1®*ð»6Uë…(½#™#ƒî~ˆ¢´„›.‡ïZXÐN! ™·“àÛ–ÒXõì¶è51=òïT7Øfd‹ c2¥o‚¢âŽ€p‚¼zgϼ†Î°r²¡[zNÁÔ=t‰%ˆ³&\¯ ò¼=þýq‘w7Aé‹ÿQ¾yÉ50Ô—ªÆH‰­õÁ™>BtŠKcнâ±71EnÞxW<êú=÷ÈNø@„sõXe¹‚7Α¾Q®[‹«t):~ÒV^z«µðöah.Ñn «ÿµßa7IâÑQ_>T‘à÷ù«0Ù¸’›é:JåVQ¨ÔTèÅpï„Ð#Áòßo]‡ÆÝGÑÇ´°mU>BÌ€ 0nL 0iº 0Y# 0_| 0&ÛU6  7 0ÆG #! UN. %| M‚ († N® ^ ° w@¼ 4ü  m 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(žå:$¡¡ÒܰÒÒܰÒÔ..ÔÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÓ  ÓÔ€ Xe8XX XÔÔ€Xe8XX Xe8ÔÔÔ˜HP LaserJet 4000 Series PSÈÚØÚÚØÈÚ0(ÈhH  Z‹6Times New Roman Regular Xzƒ4)Æ [[ [ [ [ [ [[[[as()c(¤³prograÿU‹ÿÀÀÀÝ ƒ å:!ÝÒܰÒÒܰÒÔ..ÔÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÓ  ÓÔ€ X˜wXX XÔÔ€X˜wXX X˜wÔÔÔÝ  ÝÔ_Ôò òCOMMITTEE€AGAINST€TORTUREÐ ° ÐÌòòA.€L.€N.€v.€SwitzerlandóóÐ ˆØ ÐÌCommunication€No€90/1997€ÌÌ19€May€1998ÌÌCAT/C/20/D/90/1997ÌÌÌVIEWSó óÐ Ô$  ÐÌÌòòòòSubmitted€byóó:€A.€L.€N.€(name€deleted)€Ð ˜è  ÐÌòòAlleged€victimóó:€The€author€Ð pÀ ÐÌòòState€partyóó:€Switzerland€Ð H˜ ÐÌòòDate€of€communicationóó:€25€July€1997€óóÐ  p ÐÌÌòòÓ  ÓÓ  ÓThe€Committee€against€Tortureóó,€established€in€conformity€with€article€17€of€the€ConventionÐ ä4 Ðagainst€Torture€and€Other€Cruel,€Inhuman€or€Degrading€Treatment€or€Punishment,€ÌÌòòMeetingóó€on€19€May€1998,€Ð ¨ø ÐÌòòHaving€completedóó€consideration€of€communication€No.€90/1997€submitted€to€the€CommitteeÐ €Ð Ðagainst€Torture€under€article€22€of€the€Convention€against€Torture€and€Other€Cruel,€InhumanÏor€Degrading€Treatment€or€Punishment,€ÌÌòòHaving€taken€accountóó€of€all€the€information€communicated€to€it€by€the€author€of€theÐ 0"€  Ðcommunication€and€the€State€party,€ÌÌòòAdoptsóó€the€following:Ð ô$D # ÐÌÌÓŽÓòòò òViews€under€article€22,€paragraph€7,€of€the€conventionó óóóÐ ¸'#& ÐÓÓÌÌ1.€The€author€of€the€communication€is€A.€L.€N.,€an€Angolan€born€on€25€September€1978.€HeÏis€currently€resident€in€Switzerland€where€he€has€applied€for€refugee€status€and€risks€beingÏsent€home.€The€author€claims€that€his€expulsion€would€constitute€a€violation€of€article€3€ofÏthe€Convention€against€Torture€and€Other€Cruel,€Inhuman€or€Degrading€Treatment€orÐ @-(, ÐPunishment.€ÌÌññò òññññòòññThe€facts€as€submitted€by€the€authorññóóññññó óññ€Ð ˆØ ÐÌ2.1€The€author€states€that€on€16€February€1997€his€father,€a€member€of€the€Ô_ÔUni oÔ_Ô€Ô_ÔNacionalÔ_ÔÏpara€a€Ô_ÔIndepndenciaÔ_Ô€Total€de€Angola€(Ô_ÔUNITAÔ_Ô)€gave€him€a€video€cassette€on€torture€andÏmassacres€perpetrated€by€the€Ô_ÔMovimentoÔ_Ô€Popular€para€a€Ô_ÔLiberta oÔ_Ô€de€Angola€(Ô_ÔMPLAÔ_Ô)€forÏhim€to€take€to€a€friend.€The€cassette€contained€a€scene€filmed€in€1987€showing€soldiersÏplunging€the€then€nine„year„old€author's€hand€into€boiling€water€in€front€of€his€father.€TheÏauthor€says€that€the€scars€are€still€visible.€He€was€arrested€on€the€way€during€an€identityÏcheck€by€Ô_ÔMPLAÔ_Ô€soldiers,€who€took€him€to€an€unknown€site€in€Luanda,€where€he€was€beaten.ÏHe€was€then€forced€to€take€the€soldiers€to€the€family€home€so€that€they€could€arrest€his€father.ÏAt€the€house€he€managed€to€escape€while€the€soldiers€were€momentarily€distracted.€On€19ÏFebruary€1997,€he€left€the€country€on€a€borrowed€passport€issued€to€the€son€of€one€of€hisÏfather's€friends€and€went€to€Italy.€He€arrived€in€Switzerland€on€24€February€1997.€ÌÌ2.2€That€same€day,€the€author€submitted€an€application€for€asylum€to€the€RefugeeÏRegistration€Ô_ÔCentreÔ_Ô€in€Geneva€(Ô_ÔCERAÔ_Ô).€On€2€June€1997,€the€Federal€Office€for€RefugeesÏ(Ô_ÔODRÔ_Ô)€rejected€the€application€and€ordered€his€expulsion,€finding€that€the€author's€statementsÏdid€not€meet€the€plausibility€criteria€laid€down€in€article€12€(a)€of€the€Federal€Asylum€Act.ÏThe€Office€also€said€there€was€no€evidence€to€suggest€that€the€author€would€be€specificallyÏand€seriously€likely,€in€the€event€of€a€return€to€his€country,€to€be€subjected€to€torture€or€toÏcruel,€inhuman€or€degrading€treatment.€ÌÌ2.3€The€author€appealed€against€this€decision€before€the€òòCommission€de€Ô_ÔrecoursÔ_Ô€en€Ô_ÔmatireÔ_ÔÐ Ð  ÐÔ_Ôd'asileÔ_Ôóó€(Ô_ÔCRAÔ_Ô),€which€rejected€the€appeal€in€a€decision€dated€16€July€1997.€The€CommissionÐ ¼  Ðfound€that€the€author€had€not€shown€that€his€return€to€his€country€of€origin€would€put€him€inÏdanger.€It€added€that€the€author€was€young,€in€good€health€and,€according€to€his€ownÏstatements,€capable€of€going€back€to€live€in€Luanda,€since€he€had€already€lived€there€andÏcould€count€on€his€family€for€support.€ÌÌñ ñò òñ ññ ñòòñ ñThe€complaintñ ñóóñ ññ ñó óñ ñ€Ð D!” ÐÌ3.€The€author€says€that€he€is€still€on€the€wanted€list€because€of€the€video€cassette€and€fearsÏfor€his€physical€and€mental€health€if€sent€home.€He€says€that€he€is€part€of€the€Ô_ÔBakongoÔ_Ô€ethnicÏminority,€and€that€Ô_ÔCRAÔ_Ô€itself€has€acknowledged€that€members€of€that€group€are€exposed€toÏsome€danger.€ÌÌñ ñò òñ ññ ñòòñ ñThe€State€party's€observations€on€the€admissibility€and€merits€of€the€communicationñ ñóóñ ññ ñó óñ ñ€Ð ¸'#& ÐÌ4.€On€16€October€1997€the€Committee,€through€its€Special€Rapporteur,€forwarded€theÏcommunication€to€the€State€party€for€its€observations.€ÌÌ5.1€In€a€reply€dated€15€December€1997,€the€State€party€indicated€that€the€author€hadÏexhausted€domestic€remedies.€The€communication€could€thus€be€considered€on€its€merits.€Ð @-(, Ї5.2€The€author's€main€point,€i.e.,€his€arrest€after€coming€into€possession€of€a€video€cassetteÏshowing€a€scene€in€which€soldiers€plunged€his€hand€into€boiling€water,€had€not€beenÏconsistently€related€at€the€two€hearings€on€his€application,€at€Ô_ÔCERAÔ_Ô€and€before€the€CantonalÏauthorities.€His€accounts€were€vague€or€contradictory€as€regards€both€the€origin€of€the€videoÏcassette€and€the€way€in€which€it€was€supposed€to€have€been€filmed€or€what€precisely€itÏcontained.€ÌÌ5.3€The€author€said€that€the€soldiers€had€not€asked€him€who€the€video€cassette€was€for.€ThereÏagain€his€story€was€not€credible.€Experience€unfortunately€showed€that,€as€a€rule,€peopleÏarrested€in€such€cases€were€tortured€precisely€in€order€to€obtain€information€about€those€whoÏhad€an€interest€in€documents€challenging€the€regime€in€power.€ÌÌ5.4€The€author's€account€of€how€he€managed€to€escape€was€also€unconvincing.€It€did€notÏseem€possible€that€the€author,€escorted€by€five€guards,€should€have€managed€to€escape€fromÏthem€as€easily€as€described,€without€even€being€pursued.€ÌÌ5.5€On€the€strength€of€the€author's€tale,€the€scars€visible€on€his€hands€could€not€be€ascribedÏwith€sufficient€probability€to€acts€of€the€kind€prohibited€by€the€Convention.€They€could€justÏas€well€have€resulted€from€an€occupational€or€domestic€accident,€for€example.€The€authorÏhad€submitted€no€medical€certificate€indicating€that€he€was€still€traumatized€by€the€incidentÏas€he€stated€in€his€communication.€ÌÌ5.6€The€State€party€also€said€that€no€causal€link€could€be€established€between€the€incidentÏrelated€„€the€author's€suffering€at€the€hands€of€Ô_ÔMPLAÔ_Ô€soldiers,€which€dated€from€1987€„€andÏhis€departure€for€Switzerland.€ÌÌ5.7€As€regards€the€situation€in€the€country,€Angola€was€no€longer€in€a€state€of€civil€war€orÏwidespread€violence.€The€peace€process€had€passed€a€milestone€with€the€establishment€onÏ11€April€1997€of€a€Government€of€unity€and€national€reconciliation.€The€author's€claim€toÏhave€been€arrested€and€beaten€by€Ô_ÔMPLAÔ_Ô€soldiers€on€16€February€1997€for€being€inÏpossession€of€a€compromising€video€cassette€seemed€somewhat€improbable€in€the€light€ofÏthe€moves€towards€national€reconciliation€made€by€the€various€opposition€groups,€includingÏÔ_ÔMPLAÔ_Ô€and€Ô_ÔUNITAÔ_Ô.€ÌÌ5.8€Ô_ÔCRAÔ_Ô€had€concluded€it€would€be€unreasonable€to€require€the€author€to€be€returned€to€areasÏunder€Ô_ÔUNITAÔ_Ô€control€or€close€to€the€demarcation€lines.€Elsewhere,€failing€specific€risks,Ïthere€were€adequate€safeguards€of€his€safe€return€at€least€to€the€capital€or€a€number€of€largeÏurban€conglomerations€along€the€coast.€Living€conditions€in€Luanda,€where€there€wereÏserious€problems,€were€nevertheless€not€such€as€to€rule€out€on€humanitarian€grounds€theÏreturn€of€young,€single€people€in€good€health.€ÌÌ5.9€Lastly,€the€author€said€that€he€belonged€to€an€ethnic€minority,€the€Ô_ÔBakongoÔ_Ô,€whoseÏmembers€Ô_ÔCRAÔ_Ô€itself€acknowledged€to€face€certain€dangers.€Ô_ÔCRAÔ_Ô€had€indeed€stated€thatÏÔ_ÔBakongosÔ_Ô€and€members€of€other€ethnic€groups€could€not€get€back€to€their€home€districts€fromÏLuanda€without€some€danger.€But€it€had€also€said€that,€contrary€to€Ô_ÔrumourÔ_Ô€and€despiteÐ @-(, Ðrivalries€more€social€than€ethnic€in€nature,€there€was€no€indication€that,€since€the€signatureÏof€the€Lusaka€Protocol,€the€governmental€authorities€had€taken€any€steps€that€directly€orÏindirectly€discriminated€against€or€persecuted€minority€population€groups€in€Angola,Ïincluding€the€Ô_ÔBakongoÔ_Ô,€members€of€whom€were€to€be€found€throughout€the€State€apparatus.€ÌÌ5.10€The€fact€that€Ô_ÔBakongosÔ_Ô€had€previously€lived€in€Luanda€or€still€had€family€ties€there€wasÏone€factor€that€entered€into€consideration€in€deciding€whether€or€not€they€could€find€refugeÏwithin€the€country€and€survive,€socially€and€economically,€in€the€capital.€ÌÌ5.11€In€the€present€case,€the€author€had€not€shown€that€returning€to€his€country€of€originÏwould€put€him€in€any€specific€danger.€He€was€young€and€in€good€health,€and€according€toÏhis€own€statements€would€be€able€to€re„establish€an€existence€in€Luanda€since€he€had€alreadyÏlived€there€and€could€count€on€his€family€for€support.€ÌÌ5.12€Even€if€the€Committee€concluded€that€the€human€rights€situation€in€Angola,€includingÏthe€unfortunate€position€that€the€author€claimed€for€his€ethnic€minority,€was€serious€and€gaveÏrise€to€concern,€such€a€finding€would€not,€in€the€absence€of€supplementary€indications,€beÏsufficient€to€establish€that€the€author€was€in€personal€danger€of€being€tortured.€ÌÌ5.13€In€the€light€of€the€foregoing,€the€State€party€considered€that€returning€the€author€toÏAngola€would€not€constitute€a€violation€of€the€Convention.€ÌÌññò òñññ ñòòñ ñAuthor's€commentsñ ñóóñ ñññó óññ€Ð øH ÐÌ6.€By€letter€dated€17€March€1998,€the€author€indicates€that€the€situation€in€Angola€is€veryÏunstable€and€that€the€country€is€still€at€war.€If€he€were€expelled,€he€would€thus€be€in€physicalÏdanger.€ÌÌññò òññññòòññIssues€and€proceedings€before€the€Committeeññóóññññó óññ€Ð €Ð ÐÌ7.€Before€considering€any€claims€contained€in€the€communication,€the€Committee€againstÏTorture€must€decide€whether€or€not€it€is€admissible€under€article€22€of€the€Convention.€TheÏCommittee€has€ascertained,€as€it€is€required€to€do€under€article€22,€paragraph€5€(a),€of€theÏConvention,€that€the€same€matter€has€not€been€and€is€not€being€examined€under€anotherÏprocedure€of€international€investigation€or€settlement.€The€Committee€also€notes€that€allÏdomestic€remedies€have€been€exhausted,€and€finds€there€are€no€further€obstacles€to€itsÏdeclaring€the€communication€admissible.€Since€the€State€party€and€the€author€have€bothÏmade€comments€regarding€the€substance€of€the€communication,€the€Committee€will€proceedÏto€consider€the€communication€on€its€merits.€ÌÌ8.1€The€Committee€must€decide€whether€sending€the€author€back€to€Angola€would€violateÏSwitzerland's€obligation€under€article€3€of€the€Convention€not€to€expel€or€return€(òòÔ_ÔrefoulerÔ_Ôóó)Ð |*Ì%) Ðan€individual€to€another€State€if€there€are€substantial€grounds€for€believing€that€he€would€beÏin€danger€of€being€subjected€to€torture.€ÌÐ @-(, Ð8.2€The€Committee€must€decide,€pursuant€to€article€3,€paragraph€1,€if€there€are€substantialÏgrounds€for€believing€that€the€author€would€be€in€danger€of€being€tortured€if€sent€back€toÏAngola.€To€do€so,€it€must€take€account€of€all€relevant€considerations€as€called€for€by€articleÏ3,€paragraph€2,€including€the€existence€of€a€consistent€pattern€of€gross,€flagrant€or€massÏviolations€of€human€rights.€The€aim,€however,€is€to€determine€whether€the€individualÏconcerned€would€personally€risk€torture€in€the€country€to€which€he€or€she€would€return.€ItÏfollows€that€the€existence€of€a€consistent€pattern€of€gross,€flagrant€or€mass€violations€ofÏhuman€rights€in€a€country€does€not€as€such€constitute€sufficient€grounds€for€determiningÏwhether€the€particular€person€would€be€in€danger€of€being€subjected€to€torture€upon€his€returnÏto€that€country;€additional€grounds€must€be€adduced€to€show€that€the€individual€concernedÏwould€be€personally€at€risk.€Similarly,€the€absence€of€a€consistent€pattern€of€gross€violationsÏof€human€rights€does€not€mean€that€a€person€cannot€be€considered€to€be€in€danger€of€beingÏsubjected€to€torture€in€his€or€her€particular€circumstances.€ÌÌ8.3€The€Committee€observes€that€past€torture€is€one€of€the€elements€to€be€taken€into€accountÏwhen€examining€a€claim€under€article€3€of€the€Convention,€but€its€purpose€in€considering€theÏcommunication€is€to€decide€whether,€if€the€author€were€returned€to€Angola,€he€would€nowÏrisk€being€tortured.€ÌÌ8.4€In€the€case€in€point€the€Committee€notes€the€author's€claim€to€have€been€tortured€in€1987Ïand€beaten€upon€his€arrest€in€February€1997.€The€author€has€however,€supplied€no€evidence,Ïwhether€medical€certificates€or€other,€attesting€to€acts€of€torture€or€ill„treatment€or€theÏÔ_ÔsequelaeÔ_Ô€of€such.€In€particular,€the€Committee€notes€that€the€author€has€supplied€no€detailedÏinformation€on€how€he€was€treated€when€arrested€in€February€1997,€although€it€was€thatÏarrest€that€prompted€him€to€leave€for€Switzerland.€ÌÌ8.5€The€author€bases€his€fear€of€torture€on€the€fact€that€he€is€still€being€sought€by€Ô_ÔMPLAÔ_ÔÏsoldiers€because€of€the€video€cassette.€The€Committee€notes,€however,€that€he€has€putÏforward€no€reason€to€suggest€that€he€is€indeed€still€wanted.€Neither€does€he€make€anyÏallusion€to€the€circumstances€of€his€family,€including€his€father,€who,€according€to€the€author,Ïwas€also€wanted€in€connection€with€the€video€cassette.€ÌÌ8.6€The€Committee€notes€that€the€situation€in€Angola,€given€the€peace€process,€is€stillÏdifficult,€as€recently€stated€in€a€report€by€the€Secretary„General€on€the€United€NationsÏObserver€Mission€in€Angola€(Ô_ÔMONUAÔ_Ô).€The€same€report€states€that€human€rights€violations,Ïincluding€torture,€which€are€attributed€to€the€national€police€among€other€parties,€continueÏto€take€place.€But€it€also€says€that€significant€progress€has€been€made€and€that€theÏGovernment€and€Ô_ÔUNITAÔ_Ô€have€agreed€on€important€points€which€should€enable€the€peaceÏprocess€to€advance.€It€would€therefore€seem€that€the€situation€in€the€country€has€notÏdeteriorated€since€the€author€left.€ÌÌ8.7€The€Committee€points€out€that,€for€the€purposes€of€article€3€of€the€Convention,€theÏindividual€concerned€must€face€a€foreseeable,€real€and€personal€risk€of€being€tortured€in€theÏcountry€to€which€he€is€returned.€On€the€basis€of€the€above€considerations,€the€Committee€isÏof€the€opinion€that€such€a€risk€has€not€been€established.€Ð @-(, Ї8.8€In€the€light€of€the€foregoing,€the€Committee€considers€that€the€information€before€it€doesÏnot€show€substantial€grounds€for€believing€that€the€author€runs€a€personal€risk€of€beingÏtortured€if€sent€back€to€Angola.€ÌÌ9.€The€Committee€against€Torture,€acting€under€article€22,€paragraph€7,€of€the€ConventionÏagainst€Torture€and€Other€Cruel,€Inhuman€or€Degrading€Treatment€or€Punishment,€concludesÏthat€the€facts€before€it€do€not€indicate€a€breach€of€article€3€of€the€Convention.€ÌÌ[Text€adopted€in€French€(original€version)€and€translated€into€English,€Spanish€and€Russian.]€ÌÓf Ó