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XbXX XXbXX Xb  _ COMMITTEEAGAINSTTORTURE  H.W.A.v.Switzerland  CommunicationNo48/199620May1998CAT/C/20/D/48/1996ADMISSIBILITY  $    S;   S    Submittedby:H.W.A.(representedbycounsel)   Sp S  y  Allegedvictim:Theauthor p SH S  I  Stateparty:Switzerland H Ss p S    Dateofcommunication:4April1996  p     TheCommitteeagainstTorture,establishedunderarticle17oftheConventionagainst 4 TortureandOtherCruel,InhumanorDegradingTreatmentorPunishment,SK S    Meetingon20May1998,  S# S  z  Adoptsthefollowing:      Decisiononadmissibility  D!   So##l S    1.TheauthorofthecommunicationisH.W.A.,aliasN.B.M.,aliasH.A.,aSyriancitizen.HeclaimsthathisforcedreturntotheSyrianArabRepublicwouldconstituteaviolationbySwitzerlandofarticle3oftheConvention.Heisrepresentedbycounsel.S'o"&" S  A   2.1Theauthorclaimsthathelefthiscountryattheageof13tojointhePalestineLiberationOrganization(PLO)inLebanon.In1984,hewassentbythePLOforspecialmilitarytrainingtoIraq,wherehestayeduntil1988.ThereafterhewassenttoLibya.Seeingthisassignmentasademotion,heleftthePLO.Hewassubsequentlyenlistedforaspecialmission,namelyanattackonahotelin_Taba_Ԁ(Egypt)usedbyIsraelisoldiers.Afterstartingoutonhismission,hedecidedtoabandonitforsafetyreasons.FearingreprisalsintheLibyanArab_Jamahiriya_becauseofhisdefection,hedecidedtoseekrefugeinEurope. @-(, S? S     2.2BeforeenteringSwitzerland,theauthorenteredFrance,whereherequestedasylumunderafalsename.FollowingtherejectionofthatrequestinMarch1990,heappliedforasyluminSwitzerlandunderhisrealnameon20May1990.TheFederalRefugeeOffice(Office_fdral_Ԁdes_rfugis_,_ODR_)rejectedthatrequeston19January1993,andtheSwissAsylumAppealBoard(Commission_suisse_Ԁde_recours_Ԁen_matire_Ԁ_d'asile_,_CRA_)rejectedhisappealon15February1995.Hisapplicationforreviewwasrejectedon26January1996.SO  L S  O  3.1Byaletterdated17May1996,theCommitteetransmittedthecommunicationtotheStatePartyforitscommentsonitsadmissibility.Sc   S    3.2Itappearsfromaletterfromtheauthordated22October1996thatheisnowlivinginIreland,wherehehasfiledarequestforasylum.S'  S    3.3Byaletterdated17April1998,theStatepartyrequestedtheCommitteetodeclarethecommunicationinadmissibleonthegroundthatithadbecomeirrelevant.TheStatepartyobservedthat,afterbeinginformedofthedepositofthecommunicationwiththeCommittee,_ODR_Ԁdecidedon10May1996nottoexpeltheauthorfromSwitzerland.TheauthornonethelessleftSwitzerland,arrivingon3July1996inIrelandandfilinganapplicationforasylumthere.Furthermore,hehasauthorizedtheIrishauthoritiestocontactthecompetentSwissauthoritiestoobtainfromthemdocumentsheneedsinconnectionwiththenewasylumproceedings.TheStatepartyarguesthatitcanthereforebeconsideredthatitisinIrelandthattheauthornowwishestoobtainasylum.S_  S  h  3.4GiventhattheauthorleftSwitzerlandnearlytwoyearsagoandhassincebeeninvolvedinformalitiesaimedatobtainingasyluminanothercountry,theStatepartybelievesthatthequestionofincompatibilityofthe_ODR_Ԁdecisionof19January1993toexpeltheauthorfromSwitzerlandwitharticle3oftheConventionisofnopracticalortopicalinterest.S!D! S    3.5Inhiscommentsof8May1998,theauthor'sSwisscounselpointsoutthat,althoughtheauthorwasindeedinformedthat_ODR_ԀauthorizedhimtoremaininSwitzerland,theformalnotificationofthedecisionindicatedthattheauthorizationwasvalidonlyuntil30June1996.Heexplainsthat,inviewoftheabsenceofanyrequestpursuanttorule108,paragraph9,oftheCommittee'srulesofprocedure,theauthorpanickedandleftSwitzerland.Theauthorhadallegedthatthecantonalpolicehadorallywarnedhimthat,unlessheleftSwitzerlandwithintwoweeks,theywouldtakehimtotheConsulateGeneraloftheSyrianArabRepublic.S)3%)$ S    3.6Thecounsel'sviewisthat,sincetheauthorcouldnotlegallyhaveremainedinSwitzerlandtoawaittheoutcomeoftheproceedingsbeforetheCommittee,theStatePartycannotreasonablymaintainthatthoseproceedingshavebecomeirrelevantbecausetheauthorfiledanapplicationforasyluminIrelandinJuly1996.Thecounselobservesthat_that_applicationisstillpendingandthatthequestionoftheincompatibilityoftheauthor'sforcedreturnwitharticle3oftheConventionisthereforeverydefinitelyofpracticalandtopicalinterest.Hestatesthat,becauseofanarticleinthepress,theauthornolongerfeelssafein @-(, DublinandwouldliketoreturntoSwitzerland.S` S  O   IssuesandproceedingsbeforetheCommittee   S <  S  0   4.1Beforeconsideringanyoftheallegationsinacommunication,theCommitteeagainstTorturemustdecidewhetherornotthecommunicationisadmissibleunderarticle22oftheConvention.S? <  S  !  4.2Pursuanttoarticle22,paragraph1,oftheConvention,theCommitteemayconsideracommunicationfromanindividualwhoclaimstobeavictimofaStateparty'sviolationofaprovisionoftheConvention,providingtheindividualissubjecttothatState'sjurisdictionandtheStatehasdeclaredthatitrecognizestheCommittee'scompetenceunderarticle22.St S  #  4.3TheCommitteenotesthattheauthorisnolongerinSwitzerlandandthathehasappliedforasyluminIreland,wherehasbeengivenaresidencepermitpendingtheoutcomeoftheasylumproceedings.Article3oftheConventionprohibitsreturn(refoulement)ofaperson   byaStatepartytoanotherStatewheretherearesubstantialgroundsforbelievingthattheindividualmaybesubjectedtotorture.Inthecaseinquestion,theauthor,beinglegallypresentintheterritoryofanotherState,cannotbereturnedbySwitzerland;consequently,article3oftheConventiondoesnotapply.Considerationofthecommunicationhavingbecomeirrelevant,theCommitteefindsthecommunicationinadmissible.SO S  +'  5.Accordingly,theCommitteedecides:S' S  '  (a)Thatthecommunicationisinadmissible;S \  S  (  (b)Thatthisdecisionshallbecommunicatedtotheapplicant'scounselandtotheStateparty.Ss# #p S  )  [DoneinFrench(originalversion)andtranslatedintoEnglish,RussianandSpanish.]  XXb'j  ) XX'jXbXXX  XXb XbX  % $   Y