’WPCE |Q(ņĪ'@‚Õ$>O\6÷r7’ÜČÓw1–U <RįŻĮ,DžčRŲ‡,]”tšó‰ąĢą' §5> £­3ūoń*ƒĄ['v0ŽīūV1Ń&o{½ń:Z¾čn0°iłNČ/ĮrœHobī»ž½6Ėē~s|ćP··m«Vv?‘ģ,ג߶11ŅÜö”i̵twÄX–„ KįĶ…š`PļČ`ųډD%s¬B<¦>āŖA¾@“äWémPžo—•›U6šųÄ©žItȒ٦įå^ SŁŃ#ȜRL×ÄEer¼½s9ØąŠæ¼H‡žŖ/ēD¶ĖŠĻQ®=Vüx -# sāük-\ūÄAćÉQK,k–—[»"…‰g"I½g[ ~°łp„ó’»V „ó¦V0t8s1Ź.qVsÜŗē!öųe’‘x:n`XŖToQūÄŠÉg}R0ŻŚ {ń£üᔜDGQ–dčbE•Ę\6Y„šMjT|ČŌ¾3ŻĢЃ’ƒµn1³ÓŸ[uĪ­ %AŽ"‘ĻŒĄOŻ%{ŗEUĄ(½?Æbkņčˆ®¬O #ĮØUNi %· 0:½^ ÷w4* m,NC˜HP LaserJet 4000 Series PSČŚŲŚŚŲČŚ0(ÖĆ9 Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX(ūœ$””ŌUKUS.,Ōq’) 'gt) Docume0q¤3|x’U‹’ĄĄĄŻ ƒūœ!ŻŌUKUS.,ŌŻ  ŻŌ_Ōņ ņCOMMITTEE€AGAINST€TORTUREŠ ° ŠĢņņK.T.€v.€SwitzerlandóóŠ ˆŲ ŠĢCommunication€No€118/1998Š `° ŠĢ19€November€1999Š 8 ˆ ŠĢCAT/C/23/D/118/1998Š  ` ŠĢĢVIEWSó óŠ Ō$  ŠĢĢņņņņSubmitted€byóó:€K.T.€(Name€withheld)€[represented€by€counsel]€Š ˜č  ŠĢņņAlleged€victimóó:€The€author€Š pĄ ŠĢņņState€partyóó:€Switzerland€Š H˜ ŠĢņņDate€of€communicationóó:€30€September€1998óóŠ  p ŠĢĢņņÓ  ÓThe€Committee€against€Tortureóó,€established€under€article€17€of€the€Convention€against€Torture€andŠ ä4 ŠOther€Cruel,€Inhuman€or€Degrading€Treatment€or€Punishment,€Š Š  ŠĢņņMeetingóó€on€19€November€1999,€Š Øų ŠĢņņHaving€concludedóó€its€consideration€of€communication€No.€118/1998,€submitted€to€the€CommitteeŠ €Š Šagainst€Torture€under€article€22€of€the€Convention€against€Torture€and€Other€Cruel,€Inhuman€orŠ l¼ ŠDegrading€Treatment€or€Punishment,€Š X Ø ŠĢņņHaving€taken€into€accountóó€all€information€made€available€to€it€by€the€author€of€the€communicationŠ 0"€  Šand€the€State€party,€Š #l! ŠĢņņAdoptsóó€the€following€decision:€Š ō$D # ŠĢĢ1.1€€The€author€of€the€communication€is€K.T.,€a€citizen€of€the€Democratic€Republic€of€the€CongoŠ ø'#& Š(DRC)€born€in€1969€and€currently€residing€in€Switzerland,€where€he€is€seeking€asylum€and€is€at€riskŠ ¤(ō#' Šof€deportation.€He€maintains€that€sending€him€back€to€the€DRC€would€constitute€a€violation€byŠ )ą$( ŠSwitzerland€of€article€3€of€the€Convention€against€Torture€and€Other€Cruel,€Inhuman€or€DegradingŠ |*Ģ%) ŠTreatment€or€Punishment.€He€is€represented€by€counsel.€Š h+ø&* ŠĢ1.2€€In€accordance€with€article€22,€paragraph€3,€of€the€Convention€the€Committee€brought€theŠ @-(, Šcommunication€to€the€attention€of€the€State€party€on€20€October€1998.€Š ° ŠĢņņFacts€as€submitted€by€the€authoróóŠ ˆŲ ŠĢ2.1€€The€author€states€that€he€was€a€member€of€the€People's€Revolution€Movement€(MPR)€fromŠ `° Š1992.€He€was€working€on€behalf€of€former€President€Mobutu€and€promoting€Mobutu's€interests.€HeŠ L œ Šreceived€money€from€the€MPR€and€had€no€other€occupation.€On€10€May€1997,€six€soldiers€loyal€toŠ 8 ˆ ŠLaurent-Dsir€Kabila€questioned€him€and€sacked€his€house.€The€author€hid€for€four€days€at€theŠ $ t Šhome€of€his€superior€in€the€MPR€before€leaving€the€country€on€14€May€1997€using€a€false€passport.€Š  ` ŠĢ2.2€€The€author€entered€Switzerland€illegally€on€5€June€1997€and€the€same€day€applied€for€asylumŠ č 8  Šat€the€Geneva€Registration€Centre.€By€decision€of€13€August€1997,€the€Federal€Refugee€OfficeŠ Ō$  Š(ODR)€rejected€the€application€and€gave€the€author€until€30€September€1997€to€leave€Switzerland.Š Ą  ŠAn€appeal€against€that€decision€was€lodged€with€the€Swiss€Commission€of€Appeal€in€RefugeeŠ ¬ü  ŠMatters€(CRA).€That€appeal€was€dismissed€on€6€August€1998€and€a€new€deadline€of€15€OctoberŠ ˜č  Š1998€was€set€for€the€author€to€leave€Switzerland.€Š „Ō  ŠĢņņThe€complaint€óóŠ \¬ ŠĢ3.1€€The€author€contends€that,€if€sent€back€to€the€DRC,€he€risks€being€arrested,€tortured€and€evenŠ 4„ Škilled€by€the€army€or€the€population,€owing€to€his€involvement€with€the€MPR€and€the€fact€thatŠ  p ŠPresident€Kabila€is€currently€hunting€down€all€supporters€of€the€former€Government.€The€press€andŠ  \ ŠAmnesty€International€have€reported€instances€of€torture€and€massacres€committed€by€soldiers€of€theŠ ųH ŠAlliance€of€Democratic€Liberation€Forces€(AFDL).€It€is€thus€a€certainty€that€former€supporters€ofŠ ä4 ŠMobutu€are€not€safe€in€the€Democratic€Republic€of€the€Congo.€Š Š  ŠĢņņThe€State€party's€observations€on€the€admissibility€and€merits€of€the€communicationóóŠ Øų ŠĢ4.1€€By€letter€of€17€December€1998,€the€State€party€informed€the€Committee€that€it€did€not€contestŠ €Š Šthe€admissibility€of€the€communication.€By€letter€of€6€April€1999€it€submitted€its€observations€onŠ l¼ Šthe€merits.€Š X Ø ŠĢ4.2€€The€State€party€argues€that€the€CRA€did€not€consider,€in€its€decision€of€6€August€1998,€that€theŠ 0"€  Šrisk€of€future€persecution€alleged€by€the€author€conformed€with€the€facts.€Firstly,€it€had€not€beenŠ #l! Šestablished€that€the€author€had€been€a€member€of€the€MPR,€as€he€had€not€produced€a€membershipŠ $X" Šcard.€Moreover,€assuming€that€he€had€been€a€member€of€that€party,€it€would€only€have€been€in€aŠ ō$D # Šminor€role,€as€he€himself€had€emphasized€at€his€second€hearing.€That€being€so,€it€was€somewhatŠ ą%0!$ Šdifficult€to€understand€why€Kabila's€soldiers€should€have€felt€the€need€to€question€him€on€the€MPR'sŠ Ģ&"% Šactivities€rather€than€its€senior€members.€Lastly,€the€CRA€had€found€the€author's€statementsŠ ø'#& Šconcerning€the€events€of€10€May€1997€to€be€unconvincing.€It€was€known€that€the€advance€guard€ofŠ ¤(ō#' Šthe€AFDL€did€not€enter€the€capital€until€17€May€1997.€The€six€soldiers€in€question€could€thus€onlyŠ )ą$( Šhave€belonged€to€the€regime€still€in€place€on€that€date.€Therefore,€insofar€as€it€could€be€accepted€thatŠ |*Ģ%) Šthe€event€actually€took€place,€any€fear€of€persecution€would€have€disappeared€with€the€coming€toŠ h+ø&* Špower€of€the€AFDL,€Mobutu's€armed€forces€having€been€disbanded€in€the€meantime.€Š T,¤'+ ŠŠ @-(, Š4.3€€The€State€party€fully€endorses€the€CRA's€reasoning€concerning€the€lack€of€credibility€of€theŠ ° Šauthor's€allegations.€It€also€regards€the€author's€statements€as€far€from€sufficient€to€permit€theŠ œģ Šconclusion€that€there€are€serious€grounds€for€believing,€within€the€meaning€of€article€3,€paragraphŠ ˆŲ Š1,€of€the€Convention,€that€the€author€would€be€exposed€to€the€risk€of€torture€if€the€decision€to€returnŠ tÄ Šhim€was€implemented.€Finally,€it€submits€additional€observations€based€on€article€3,€paragraph€2,Š `° Šof€the€Convention.€Š L œ ŠĢ4.4€€In€his€communication,€the€author€expresses€his€fear€of€being€persecuted€by€the€army€or€theŠ $ t Špopulation€because€of€his€involvement€with€the€MPR.€Fears€of€persecution€by€the€population€are€notŠ  ` Šincluded€among€the€relevant€considerations€to€be€taken€into€account€by€the€Committee€under€articleŠ ü L  Š3,€paragraph€2,€of€the€Convention.€Under€the€above-cited€article€3,€paragraph€1,€only€persecutionŠ č 8  Šoriginating€from€the€army,€where€accepted,€may€be€recognized€as€relevant.€Š Ō$  ŠĢ4.5€€The€author€never€claimed€that€he€had€been€arrested€or€tortured€in€the€past.€Only€on€10€May€1997Š ¬ü  Šdid€he€apparently€find€himself€in€trouble,€for€the€first€and€only€time,€when€Kabila's€soldiers€allegedlyŠ ˜č  Šcame€to€his€home€and€questioned€him.€Yet,€as€the€CRA€mentions€in€its€decision,€there€is€no€seriousŠ „Ō  Ševidence€that€might€lead€one€to€think€that€such€an€event€ever€actually€took€place.€Firstly,€consideringŠ pĄ Šthe€minor€nature€of€the€duties€which€the€author€says€he€carried€out€for€the€MPR€it€is€hard€to€see€whatŠ \¬ Šreason€the€AFDL€soldiers€might€have€for€taking€an€interest€in€him€rather€than€in€the€party's€politicalŠ H˜ Šleaders,€who€were€certainly€better€informed€than€he€on€the€subject€of€the€MPR's€financial€resources.Š 4„ ŠSecondly,€on€the€date€given€by€the€author€the€AFDL's€troops€had€not€yet€entered€the€capital.€InŠ  p Šaddition,€even€if€the€author's€version€was€accepted€-€thus€implying€that€his€membership€of€the€MPRŠ  \ Šwas€an€established€fact,€which€is€far€from€being€the€case€-€that€would€in€no€way€constitute€a€basisŠ ųH Šfor€fear€of€future€persecution.€It€is€difficult€to€see€why€the€author€would€be€tortured€on€his€return€ifŠ ä4 Šhe€was€not€mistreated€during€his€supposed€interrogation€on€10€May€1997.€In€order€to€give€sufficientŠ Š  Šsubstance€to€the€risk€of€future€persecution,€the€author€should€have€provided€other€evidence€relatingŠ ¼  Što€the€period€after€his€escape€which€would€support€the€belief€that€the€risk€of€torture€was€likely€toŠ Øų Šmaterialize.€Š ”ä ŠĢ4.6€€This€communication€differs€from€those€cases€in€which€the€Committee€considered€that€the€returnŠ l¼ Šof€the€authors€to€Zaire€would€breach€article€3€of€the€Convention.€By€contrast€with€theŠ X Ø Šcommunications€Mutambo€v.€Switzerland€ņņ1óó€and€Muzonozo€Paku€Kisoki€v.€Sweden,€ņņ2óó€the€author€ofŠ D!” Šthe€present€communication€has€been€unable€to€demonstrate€that€he€left€his€country€because€ofŠ 0"€  Špersecution€suffered€in€the€past€or€that€his€political€activities€in€host€countries€have€given€rise€to€aŠ #l! Šgreater€fear€that€he€would€be€tortured€if€he€were€returned€to€his€own€country.€Lastly,€the€author€hasŠ $X" Šnot€argued€that€his€ethnic€origins€could€expose€him€to€the€risk€of€torture.€Š ō$D # ŠĢ4.7€€Neither€has€it€been€shown€that€he€was€a€member€of€the€MPR.€Notwithstanding€his€intention€toŠ Ģ&"% Šsubmit€his€membership€card,€which€supposedly€remained€at€his€home€after€his€departure,€it€wouldŠ ø'#& Šseem€that€the€author€has€made€no€move€to€recover€it.€Yet,€according€to€information€from€the€SwissŠ ¤(ō#' ŠEmbassy€in€Kinshasa,€postal€links€with€the€DRC€are€operating€normally.€Private€companies€such€asŠ )ą$( ŠDHL€and€EMS€are€well€established€in€the€capital€and€provide€an€effective€postal€service.€Moreover,Š |*Ģ%) Šthe€author€has€in€no€way€suggested€that€his€family€has€been€exposed€to€persecution€by€the€authorities.Š h+ø&* ŠIt€must€thus€be€supposed€that€the€author€has€been€at€liberty€to€contact€his€family€with€a€view€toŠ T,¤'+ Šrecovering€his€MPR€membership€card.€That€said,€even€had€the€author€been€a€member€of€the€MPR,Š @-(, Šthat€would€not€constitute€grounds€for€considering€that€the€risk€of€torture€had€been€sufficientlyŠ ° Šestablished.€The€former€members€of€the€MPR€in€the€DRC€number€hundreds€of€thousands,€and€theŠ œģ ŠGovernment€has€taken€no€general€measures€of€persecution€against€them.€Moreover,€the€author€hasŠ ˆŲ Šbeen€unable€to€provide€detailed€information€on€the€duties€he€performed€for€the€MPR.€In€hisŠ tÄ Šcommunication,€he€has€not€even€deemed€fit€to€provide€any€information€on€the€subject.€Š `° ŠĢ4.8€€In€the€light€of€the€foregoing€considerations,€the€State€party€concludes€that€there€is€nothing€toŠ 8 ˆ Šindicate€the€existence€of€serious€grounds€for€fearing€that€the€author€would€personally€risk€beingŠ $ t Šexposed€to€torture€upon€returning€to€the€DRC.€Š  ` ŠĢņņThe€author's€commentsóóŠ č 8  ŠĢ5.1€€By€letter€of€15€July€1999,€the€author€informed€the€Committee€that€he€was€in€custody€pendingŠ Ą  Šhis€return€to€the€Ō_ŌDRCŌ_Ō.€He€reverts€to€the€subject€of€the€Swiss€authorities'€interpretation€as€to€the€originŠ ¬ü  Šof€the€threat€to€himself€in€his€country.€According€to€the€CRA,€he€ought€to€have€had€no€fear€ofŠ ˜č  Špersecution,€since€on€10€May€1997€Ō_ŌKabilaŌ_Ō's€forces€had€not€yet€entered€Kinshasa.€In€fact,€by€10€MayŠ „Ō  Š1997€a€number€of€infiltrators€had€already€reached€the€capital,€although€officially€the€advance€guardŠ pĄ Šdid€not€arrive€until€17€May.€It€was€soldiers€of€the€Ō_ŌAFDLŌ_Ō€who€interrogated€the€author.€There€couldŠ \¬ Šbe€no€question€of€his€confusing€them€with€soldiers€belonging€to€the€armed€forces€of€PresidentŠ H˜ ŠMobutu,€who€held€no€fears€for€him€as€they€knew€him.€Š 4„ ŠĢ5.2€€The€author€argues€that€it€is€now€impossible€for€him€to€provide€proof€of€his€political€activities.Š  \ ŠAs€to€his€MPR€membership€card,€he€points€out€that€if€communications€between€the€Ō_ŌDRCŌ_Ō€andŠ ųH ŠSwitzerland€are€supposed€to€be€functioning€perfectly,€which€is€far€from€likely€given€the€state€of€theŠ ä4 Špostal€service€in€Kinshasa,€that€can€only€have€come€about€very€recently.€He€had€no€news€of€hisŠ Š  Šfamily€for€months€following€his€arrival€in€Switzerland€precisely€because€of€the€communicationŠ ¼  Šproblems.€He€eventually€learned€through€a€letter€from€his€mother€that€she€had€left€Kinshasa€someŠ Øų Šnine€months€previously€to€go€with€his€brothers€to€Brazzaville,€owing€to€the€difficulties€she€had€Ō_ŌhadŌ_ŌŠ ”ä Šin€Kinshasa.€She€informed€him€that,€following€his€departure€from€the€country,€his€father€had€beenŠ €Š Šarrested,€interrogated€and€beaten€in€an€effort€to€make€him€reveal€the€author's€whereabouts.€The€letterŠ l¼ Šhad€remained€at€his€residence€in€La€Ō_ŌChauxŌ_Ō-de-Fonds.€Š X Ø ŠĢ5.3€€The€author€did€in€fact€describe€in€his€application€for€asylum€the€work€he€did€for€the€MPR.€HeŠ 0"€  Šhad€been€responsible€for€mobilizing€people€at€the€airport€in€connection€with€all€travel€undertakenŠ #l! Šby€President€Mobutu.€Consequently€he€was€well€known,€particularly€in€Kinshasa.€That€was€theŠ $X" Šreason€for€his€continuing€fear€that€he€would€be€at€risk€of€recognition€and€arrest€if€he€returned€to€theŠ ō$D # ŠDRC.€Š ą%0!$ ŠĢ5.4€€The€author€contends€that€the€many€former€employees€of€President€Mobutu€who€remain€in€theŠ ø'#& Šcountry€without€problems€have€preserved€their€freedom€through€payments€and€bribery.€He€states€thatŠ ¤(ō#' Štwo€compatriots€whom€he€met€in€Switzerland,€and€whose€names€he€supplies,€were€arrested€on€theirŠ )ą$( Šreturn€to€the€Ō_ŌDRCŌ_Ō€and€imprisoned€at€Ō_ŌMakalaŌ_Ō.€Š |*Ģ%) ŠĢņņIssues€and€proceedings€before€the€Committee€óóŠ T,¤'+ ŠŠ @-(, Š6.1€€Before€considering€any€claims€contained€in€a€communication,€the€Committee€against€TortureŠ ° Šmust€decide€whether€or€not€it€is€admissible€under€article€22€of€the€Convention.€The€Committee€hasŠ œģ Šascertained,€as€it€is€required€to€do€under€article€22,€paragraph€5€(a)€of€the€Convention,€that€the€sameŠ ˆŲ Šmatter€has€not€been€and€is€not€being€examined€under€another€procedure€of€international€investigationŠ tÄ Šor€settlement.€The€Committee€also€notes€that€all€domestic€remedies€have€been€exhausted,€andŠ `° Šconsiders€that€there€is€no€reason€why€it€should€not€declare€the€communication€admissible.€Since€bothŠ L œ Šthe€State€party€and€the€author€have€provided€observations€on€the€merits€of€the€communication,€theŠ 8 ˆ ŠCommittee€proceeds€with€the€consideration€of€those€merits.€Š $ t ŠĢ6.2€€The€issue€before€the€Committee€is€whether€the€expulsion€of€the€author€to€the€DemocraticŠ ü L  ŠRepublic€of€the€Congo€would€violate€the€State€party's€obligation€under€article€3€of€the€ConventionŠ č 8  Šnot€to€expel€or€return€a€person€to€another€State€where€there€are€substantial€grounds€for€believing€thatŠ Ō$  Šhe€or€she€would€be€in€danger€of€being€subjected€to€torture.€Š Ą  ŠĢ6.3€€The€Committee€must€decide,€pursuant€to€article€3,€paragraph€1,€whether€there€are€substantialŠ ˜č  Šgrounds€for€believing€that€the€author€would€be€in€danger€of€being€subjected€to€torture€if€returned€toŠ „Ō  Šthe€Democratic€Republic€of€the€Congo.€In€reaching€this€decision,€it€must€take€into€account€allŠ pĄ Šrelevant€considerations,€pursuant€to€article€3,€paragraph€2,€including€the€existence€of€a€consistentŠ \¬ Špattern€of€gross,€flagrant€or€mass€violations€of€human€rights.€The€aim€of€the€determination,€however,Š H˜ Šis€to€establish€whether€the€individual€concerned€would€be€personally€at€risk€of€being€subjected€toŠ 4„ Štorture.€The€existence€of€a€consistent€pattern€of€gross,€flagrant€or€mass€violations€of€human€rightsŠ  p Šin€the€country€does€not€as€such€constitute€a€sufficient€ground€for€determining€that€a€particular€personŠ  \ Šwould€be€in€danger€of€being€subjected€to€torture€upon€returning€to€that€country;€there€must€be€otherŠ ųH Šgrounds€indicating€that€he€or€she€would€be€personally€at€risk.€Similarly,€the€absence€of€a€consistentŠ ä4 Špattern€of€gross€violations€of€human€rights€does€not€mean€that€a€person€cannot€be€in€danger€of€tortureŠ Š  Šin€his€or€her€specific€circumstances.€Š ¼  ŠĢ6.4€€In€the€present€case€it€must€be€pointed€out€that€the€author€has€provided€neither€the€Committee€norŠ ”ä Šthe€State€party€with€any€evidence€that€he€was€a€member€of€MPR€or€that€his€family€has€beenŠ €Š Špersecuted€by€the€current€regime€in€Kinshasa.€The€Committee€does€not€find€his€explanations€for€theŠ l¼ Šabsence€of€such€evidence€convincing.€Nor€has€the€author€provided€evidence€of€the€allegedŠ X Ø Špersecution€to€which€former,€in€particular€junior,€members€of€MPR€are€supposedly€subject€at€presentŠ D!” Šowing€to€their€support€for€the€country's€former€president€and€active€backing€for€the€opposition€to€theŠ 0"€  Šregime€currently€in€power.€Š #l! ŠĢ6.5€€The€Committee€is€concerned€at€the€many€reports€of€human€rights€violations,€including€the€useŠ ō$D # Šof€torture,€in€the€Democratic€Republic€of€the€Congo,€but€recalls€that€for€the€purposes€of€article€3€ofŠ ą%0!$ Šthe€Convention€the€individual€concerned€must€face€a€foreseeable,€real€and€personal€risk€of€beingŠ Ģ&"% Štortured€in€the€country€to€which€he€or€she€is€returned.€In€the€light€of€the€foregoing,€the€CommitteeŠ ø'#& Šdeems€that€such€a€risk€has€not€been€established.€Š ¤(ō#' ŠĢ7.€€The€Committee€against€Torture,€acting€under€article€22,€paragraph€7€of€the€Convention€againstŠ |*Ģ%) ŠTorture€and€Other€Cruel,€Inhuman€or€Degrading€Treatment€or€Punishment,€concludes€that€theŠ h+ø&* Šdecision€of€the€State€party€to€return€the€author€to€the€Democratic€Republic€of€the€Congo€does€notŠ T,¤'+ Šconstitute€a€breach€of€article€3€of€the€Convention.€Š @-(, Ї[Done€in€English,€French,€Russian€and€Spanish,€the€French€text€being€the€original€version.]€Š ° ŠĢĢņņNotesóóŠ tÄ ŠĢ1/€€€CAT/C/12/D/13/1993.€Š L œ ŠĢ2/€€€CAT/C/16/D/41/1996.