’WPC5 X<Ét9†ƒØÆ¹ūsĘ¢¾*dmD ל&ˆĀńķ¹Ū·‡Z½h…˜ŗ÷>}ōHJ‚5ė/1;Tą¹Łƒ)`”ā ā|$rpĄP¦ėó³¦C޽Jœ÷Tć x÷ø lŁy éO6l@öt¦Dä÷§-zóō’§ÕxŃ˜źøäū•„ēG ŅČöītā`—Ž"X f“E ųIc“‘±!Ó&SĻbEØ^ö҉–…S‹Õ©łnA×¾Į'i <¶dn׆2Xx¾š2āÖ sˆ×½™BĮ$Åš8č@’ĄĻA@SrBTKC„@–O=OŗÅÆz-C„%Ė Gć¼ĘŠ»bš"Ż>ąŠD&;T؊g*®$ķŠŠ1<¾š÷)Tó’ÉüGO»õ|„*‰eO\0ū’L·…Ķ0±MÜ:³@.tc+ūܝ¶š·~/Ÿ[;ŌdķŸWģU4łw›÷«(R 6ŽZL¬u5ĄRķ†wtŻńü@ĖŽŖŪP›„ƒDĻk-‘>œ]>“ŌD®ńÓXŚ¹Äźp“yo‘}ņåiĶT%6ŪŁ†Ė©ž` čżµ£Œ ŃLø¤”+‰›t‘!Ń”Śł%+Čę$ÆIW€M脦 #ĮšUN[ %© 0:Æ^ éwõ4ł  m˜HP LaserJet 6P/6MP - StandardČŠššČŠ0(@ųŠ Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX(ūœ$””ŌUKUS.,ŌdfK- :PB-ing|cŸ3|x’U‹’ĄĄĄŻ ƒūœ!ŻŌUKUS.,ŌŻ  ŻŌ_ŌÓ  Óņ ņCOMMITTEE€AGAINST€TORTUREŠ ° ŠĢņņA.€R.€v.€SwedenŠ ą ŠĢóóCommunication€No.€170/2000Š pĄ ŠĢ23€November€2001ó óŠ P   ŠĢĢņ ņADMISSIBILITYŠ  p  Šó óĢĢņņSubmitted€by€:€A.€R.€(name€withheld)[represented€by€counsel]€Š š@  ŠĢAlleged€victim:€The€author€Š Š  ŠĢState€party:€Sweden€Š ° ŠĢDate€of€communication:€27€April€2000€Š ą ŠóóĢĢņņThe€Committee€against€Tortureóó,€established€under€Article€17€of€the€Convention€against€Torture€andŠ `° ŠOther€Cruel,€Inhuman€or€Degrading€Treatment€or€Punishment,€Š P  ŠĢņņMeeting€onóó€23€November€2001,€Š 0€ ŠĢņņAdoptsóó€the€following:€Š ` ŠĢĢÓ=ÓÓ  Óņ ņDecisionó óŠ ą0 ŠÓcÓÓÓĢ1.1€The€author€of€the€communication,€dated€27€April€2000,€is€Mr.€A.€R.,€a€citizen€of€Bangladesh,Š Ą! Šborn€on€6€September€1966,€whose€application€for€refugee€status€was€rejected€in€Sweden€on€19€MarchŠ °"  Š1997.€He€claims€that€his€deportation€to€Bangladesh€would€constitute€a€violation€by€Sweden€of€articleŠ  #š! Š3€of€the€Convention€against€Torture€and€Other€Cruel,€Inhuman€or€Degrading€Treatment€orŠ $ą" ŠPunishment.€He€is€represented€by€counsel.€Š €%Š # ŠĢ1.2€The€State€party€ratified€the€Convention€on€8€January€1986€and€made€the€declaration€under€articleŠ `'°"% Š22€of€the€Convention€at€the€same€time.€Š P( #& ŠĢ1.3€In€accordance€with€article€22,€paragraph€3€of€the€Convention,€the€Committee€transmitted€theŠ 0*€%( Šcommunication€to€the€State€party€on€4€October€2000.€€Pursuant€to€rule€108,€paragraph€9,€of€theŠ  +p&) ŠCommittee's€rules€of€procedure,€the€State€party€was€requested€not€to€deport€the€petitioner€toŠ ,`'* ŠBangladesh€pending€the€consideration€of€his€case€by€the€Committee.€In€a€submission€dated€21Š -P(+ ŠNovember€2000,€the€State€party€informed€the€Committee€that€the€petitioner€would€not€be€deportedŠ š-@), Što€his€country€of€origin€while€his€communication€was€under€consideration€by€the€Committee.€Š ° ŠĢņ ņThe€facts€as€presented€by€the€petitioner€ó óņņŠ ą ŠóóĢ2.1€The€petitioner€states€that€since€the€beginning€of€the€80's,€he€was€active€in€the€Hindu-BuddhaŠ pĄ ŠChristian€Minority€Organization€and€in€the€Bangladesh€Ō_ŌChattraŌ_Ō€League.€Š ` ° ŠĢ2.3€During€the€autumn€of€1992,€he€was€attacked€and€abused€by€Muslims€and€detained€by€the€policeŠ @  Šfor€his€participation€in€a€demonstration€where€he€was€allegedly€tortured,€hit€on€the€soles€of€his€feetŠ 0 € Šand€hanged€upside€down.€He€was€released€with€the€help€of€his€party€and€went€to€India€for€severalŠ  p  Šmonths.€Š `  ŠĢ2.4€He€returned€later€to€Bangladesh€and€became€active€in€the€Bangladesh€Ō_ŌSharboharaŌ_Ō€Party€(Ō_ŌBSPŌ_Ō).Š š@  ŠBeginning€1995,€he€was€again€detained€during€two€months€by€the€police€for€his€participation€in€aŠ ą0  Špolitical€rally.€During€this€period,€he€was€allegedly€tortured,€and€he€submits€a€medical€andŠ Š  Špsychiatric€report€established€in€Denmark€concerning€prior€injuries€and€post-traumatic€stressŠ Ą Šdisorder.€Š ° ŠĢ2.5€After€having€spent€another€month€in€India,€he€returned€to€Bangladesh€and€became€responsibleŠ ą Šfor€Ō_ŌBSPŌ_Ō's€public€relations€and€publicity.€Š €Š ŠĢ2.6€The€petitioner€was€then€allegedly€advised€by€others€members€of€his€party€to€leave€Bangladesh.Š `° ŠThe€party€arranged€and€financed€his€flight€to€Sweden€in€October€1995.€Š P  ŠĢ2.7€The€petitioner€arrived€in€Sweden€on€24€October€1995€and€applied€for€refugee€status.€HisŠ 0€ Šapplication€was€rejected€by€the€Swedish€Migration€Board€on€13€December€1995€and,€on€appeal,€byŠ  p Šthe€Aliens€Appeals€Board€on€19€March€1997.€Š ` ŠĢ2.8€Subsequently,€the€petitioner€made€three€new€applications€before€the€Aliens€Appeal€Board€underŠ š@ ŠChapter€2,€Section€5€(b)€of€the€Swedish€Aliens€Act,€which€allows€to€resubmit€applications€beforeŠ ą0 Šsuch€body€on€the€basis€of€factual€circumstances€that€have€not€been€earlier€examined€by€theŠ Š  Šcompetent€authorities.€€The€petitioner's€applications€were€all€rejected,€the€latest€by€a€decision€of€9Š Ą! ŠApril€1999.€Š °"  ŠĢņ ņThe€complaint€ó óņņŠ $ą" ŠóóĢ3.1€The€petitioner€claims€that€he€was€subjected€to€torture€when€he€was€detained€in€Bangladesh.€HeŠ p&Ą!$ Šsubmits€some€medical€evidence€in€this€regard.€Š `'°"% ŠĢ3.2€The€petitioner€claims€that€if€he€is€returned€to€Bangladesh,€he€would€be€again€subjected€to€tortureŠ @)$' Šand€that€the€decision€forcibly€to€remove€him€to€Bangladesh€would€therefore€entail€a€violation€ofŠ 0*€%( Šarticle€3€of€the€Convention€by€the€State€party.€Š  +p&) ŠĢĢŠ š-@), Šņ ņState€party's€observations€on€the€admissibility€and€merits€ó óņņŠ ° ŠóóĢ4.1€In€a€submission€dated€21€November€2000,€the€State€party€made€its€observations€on€theŠ ą Šadmissibility€of€the€case.€Š €Š ŠĢ4.2€The€State€party€mainly€draws€the€attention€of€the€Committee€to€the€condition€of€the€exhaustionŠ ` ° Šof€internal€remedies€and€to€the€fact€that€the€decision€for€removal€of€the€petitioner€acquired€legal€forceŠ P   Šwith€the€decision€of€the€Aliens€Appeals€Board€of€19€March€1997€and,€according€to€Chapter€8,Š @  ŠSection€15€of€the€Swedish€Aliens€Act,€has€become€statute-barred€after€4€years,€on€19€March€2001.Š 0 € ŠBy€the€time€the€Committee€would€consider€the€present€communication,€the€removal€decision€wouldŠ  p  Štherefore€no€longer€be€enforceableņņ1óó.€Š `  ŠĢ4.3€The€State€party€thus€contends€that€if€the€petitioner€would€still€like€to€obtain€a€residence€permitŠ š@  Šin€Sweden,€he€should€make€a€new€application€to€the€Swedish€Migration€Board,€which€would€haveŠ ą0  Što€take€into€account€all€circumstances€invoked€by€the€petitioner€regardless€of€whether€they€haveŠ Š  Šalready€been€examinedņņ2óó.€The€decision€would€also€be€appealable€to€the€Aliens€Appeal€Board.€Š Ą ŠĢ4.4€The€State€party€refers€in€this€regard€to€an€earlier€decision€taken€by€the€Committee€(Ō_ŌJ.M.U.M.Ō_Ō€v.Š  š ŠSweden,€Communication€no.€58/1996)€in€which€it€decided€that€the€communication€was€inadmissibleŠ ą Šfor€failure€of€exhaustion€of€domestic€remedies€because€the€new€application€that€had€been€filed€afterŠ €Š Šthat€the€original€expulsion€decision€had€lost€legal€force€was€still€pending€before€the€SwedishŠ pĄ ŠMigration€Board.€Š `° ŠĢ4.5€The€State€party€also€considers€that€the€communication€could€be€declared€inadmissible€as€beingŠ @ Šincompatible€with€the€provisions€of€the€Convention,€in€the€sense€of€article€22,€paragraph€2,€becauseŠ 0€ Šthere€is€no€longer€any€enforceable€expulsion€order.€Š  p ŠĢņ ņCounsel€comments€ó óņņŠ P ŠóóĢ5.1€In€a€submission€dated€28€December€2000,€the€petitioner€transmitted€his€comments€on€theŠ ą0 Šobservations€from€the€State€party.€Š Š  ŠĢ5.2€The€petitioner€contends€that€if€he€had€made€a€new€application€for€asylum,€he€would€have€beenŠ °"  Štaken€into€custody€and€the€Swedish€Migration€Board€would€have€probably€taken€the€decision€toŠ  #š! Šremove€him€to€Bangladesh,€even€if€such€a€decision€had€been€appealed.€The€petitioner€argues€that€heŠ $ą" Šhas€indeed€no€chance€to€be€granted€refugee€status€in€Sweden€because€the€situation€in€Bangladesh€hasŠ €%Š # Šnot€changed€since€the€decision€of€19€March€1997€of€the€Aliens€Appeal€Board€and€the€State€party'sŠ p&Ą!$ Šimmigration€authorities€would€be€in€the€same€situation€as€they€were€originally.€Neither€has€he€anyŠ `'°"% Šchance€to€obtain€a€residence€permit€on€humanitarian€grounds€for€the€same€reasons.€Rather,€he€wouldŠ P( #& Šbe€blamed€for€having€hidden€himself€and€for€not€having€complied€with€the€original€decision€of€19Š @)$' ŠMarch€1997.€Š 0*€%( ŠĢ5.3€The€petitioner€considers€that€since€the€State€party€has€not€granted€him€refugee€status€despite€theŠ ,`'* Šexistence€of€documents€proving€that€he€has€been€tortured€in€the€past,€the€only€possibility€for€avoidingŠ -P(+ Ša€risk€of€torture€in€Bangladesh€is€a€consideration€of€his€case€by€the€Committee.€Š š-@), Їņ ņAdditional€comments€by€State€party€ņņó óŠ ° ŠĢóó6.1€In€a€submission€of€6€April€2001,€the€State€party€reiterates€that€since€the€original€decision€of€19Š ą ŠMarch€1997€was€no€longer€enforceable,€the€petitioner€could€make€a€new€application€for€residenceŠ €Š Špermit,€which,€as€of€the€date€of€the€submission,€has€not€yet€been€done.€Moreover,€according€to€theŠ pĄ ŠState€party's€legislation,€the€Swedish€Migration€Board€may€also€take€a€decision,€appealable€beforeŠ ` ° Šthe€Aliens€Appeal€Board,€even€if€the€petitioner€does€not€make€such€a€new€application.€Such€aŠ P   Šdecision€had€also€not€been€taken€at€the€time€of€the€submission.€Š @  ŠĢ6.2€The€State€party€reiterates€that€the€communication€should€be€declared€inadmissible€forŠ  p  Šnon-exhaustion€of€domestic€remedies.€In€this€regard,€the€State€party€considers,€that€contrary€to€theŠ `  Špetitioner's€suggestion,€such€a€new€application€would€be€effective€to€the€extent€that€the€SwedishŠ P  ŠMigration€Board€would€have€to€take€into€account€new€circumstances€as€well€as€the€one€presentedŠ š@  Šbefore.€The€petitioner€would€thus€legally€be€in€the€same€position€as€when€he€made€is€originalŠ ą0  Šapplication.€Among€the€grounds€on€which€he€could€base€his€new€application€are€the€risks€of€beingŠ Š  Šsubjected€to€torture€if€is€returned€to€his€native€country,€humanitarian€grounds,€his€state€of€health,€andŠ Ą Šthe€links€he€has€established€with€the€Swedish€society.€In€this€respect,€the€State€party€notes€that€theŠ ° Špetitioner€has€been€staying€in€Sweden€for€more€than€five€years€and,€according€to€availableŠ  š Šinformation,€would€have€married€a€Swedish€citizen€in€1996.€Š ą ŠĢ6.3€Finally,€the€State€party€underlines€that€a€direct€enforcement€of€the€Swedish€Migration€Board,Š pĄ Šwithout€allowing€reconsideration€on€appeal,€is€possible€only€in€cases€where€it€is€obvious€that€thereŠ `° Šare€no€grounds€for€granting€a€residence€permit.€Moreover,€if€the€petitioner€has€resided€in€Sweden€forŠ P  Šmore€that€three€months€after€his€first€application,€such€a€direct€enforcement,€which€is€also€appealableŠ @ Što€the€Alien€Appeal€Board,€could€only€take€place€in€the€presence€of€exceptional€grounds,€such€as€ifŠ 0€ Šthe€petitioner€had€committed€crimes€in€Sweden.€The€State€party€is€therefore€of€the€opinion€that€aŠ  p Šdirect€enforcement€is€unlikely€in€the€petitioner's€case.€Š ` ŠĢņ ņIssues€and€proceedings€before€the€Committee€ó óņņŠ š@ ŠóóĢ7.1€The€Committee€considers€that,€in€the€present€case,€the€principle€of€exhaustion€of€internalŠ Š  Šremedies€requires€the€petitioner€to€use€remedies€that€are€directly€€related€to€the€risk€of€torture€underŠ Ą! Šarticle€3€of€the€Convention.€The€Committee€is€therefore€of€the€opinion€that€the€elements€that€areŠ °"  Štotally€unrelated€to€the€allegations€of€torture,€such€as€his€situation€in€Sweden€and€the€fact€that€he€hasŠ  #š! Šmarried€with€a€Swedish€citizen€are€not€within€the€scope€of€those€that€should€be€addressed€in€aŠ $ą" Šremedy€that€has€to€be€exhausted€in€order€to€meet€the€requirements€of€article€22,€paragraph€5€(b)€ofŠ €%Š # Šthe€Convention.€Š p&Ą!$ ŠĢ7.2€Nevertheless,€the€Committee€has€been€informed€that€the€petitioner€has€submitted€a€newŠ P( #& Šapplication€for€residence€permit€on€6€June€2001,€which€may€be€decided,€inter€alia,€on€the€groundsŠ @)$' Šof€a€risk€of€torture€in€his€country€of€origin.€The€Committee€finds€therefore€that€the€author€has€notŠ 0*€%( Šexhausted€domestic€remedies.€Š  +p&) ŠĢ8.€The€Committee€consequently€decides:€Š -P(+ ŠŠ š-@), Š(a)€That€the€communication€is€inadmissible;€Š ° ŠĢ(b)€That€this€decision€may€be€reviewed€under€rule€109€of€the€Committee's€rules€of€procedure€uponŠ ą Šreceipt€of€a€request€by€or€on€behalf€of€the€petitioner€containing€information€to€the€effect€that€theŠ €Š Šreasons€for€inadmissibility€no€longer€apply;€Š pĄ ŠĢ(c)€That€this€decision€shall€be€communicated€to€the€State€party,€the€petitioner€and€his€representative.€Š P   ŠĢĢņ ņNotesó óņņŠ  p  ŠóóĢņņ1óó€€The€State€party€explains€that,€under€Swedish€law,€the€three€new€applications€to€the€Aliens€AppealŠ P  ŠBoard€that€were€made€by€the€author€after€19€March€1997€have€no€incidence€on€the€limitation€period.€Š š@  ŠĢņņ2óó€€Such€an€application€would€therefore€be€different€in€nature€from€the€one€referred€to€under€paragraphŠ Š  Š2.8.€Š Ą ŠÓ¢Ó