CAT/C/20/D/65/1997 page 2 Annex VIEWS OF THE COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE UNDER ARTICLE 22, PARAGRAPH 7, THE CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT TWENTIETH SESSION concerning Communication No. 65/1997 Submitted by: I.A.O. (name withheld) (represented by counsel) Alleged victim: The author State Party: Sweden Date of communication: 21 March 1997 Date of admissibility decision: 25 November 1997 The Committee against Torture, established under Article 17 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Meeting on 6 May 1998, Having concluded its consideration of communication No. 65/1997, submitted to the Committee against Torture under article 22 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Having taken into account all information made available to it by the author of the communication, his counsel and the State Party, Adopts its Views under article 22, paragraph 7, of the Convention. 1. The author of the communication is I.A.O. (born on 29 May 1966), a Djibouti citizen and member of the Afar ethnic group, currently seeking asylum in Sweden. He claims that his return to Djibouti would constitute a violation of Article 3 of the Convention against Torture by Sweden. He is represented by the Advisory Centre for Asylum seekers and refugees. Facts as presented by the author 2.1 The author is described as a publicist who has written articles criticizing the political situation in Djibouti, in particular the mistreatment of the Afar ethnic group by the politically-dominant Issa ethnic group. He maintains that since coming to Sweden he has continued his publicist work critical of the current government, and is thus still considered to be a significant enemy to the regime.

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