CAT/C/64/D/641/2014
United Nations
Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment
Distr.: General
21 September 2018
Original: English
Committee against Torture
Decision adopted by the Committee under article 22 of the
Convention, concerning communication No. 641/2014*, **
Communication submitted by:
B.N.T.K. (represented by counsel, Mai Greitz)
Alleged victim:
The complainant
State party:
Sweden
Date of complaint:
1 December 2014 (initial submission)
Date of present decision:
9 August 2018
Subject matter:
Deportation to Côte d’Ivoire
Procedural issue:
Level of substantiation of claims
Substantive issues:
Risk of torture upon return to country of origin;
non-refoulement
Article of the Convention:
3
1.1
The complainant is B.N.T.K.,1 a national of Côte d’Ivoire born in 1979. His asylum
request in Sweden was rejected and he claims that his deportation to Côte d’Ivoire would
constitute a violation by Sweden of article 3 of the Convention. The complainant is
represented by counsel, Mai Greitz.
1.2
On 4 December 2014, pursuant to rule 114 (1) of its rules of procedure
(CAT/C/3/Rev.6), the Committee, acting through its Rapporteur on new complaints and
interim measures, requested the State party not to deport the complainant to Côte d’Ivoire
while his complaint was being considered.
Factual background
2.1
The complainant worked as an economics teacher at higher education institutions in
Côte d’Ivoire. He was a member of the Student Federation of Côte d’Ivoire and headed its
branch in Abobo. He was also a member of, and politically active in, the Ivorian Popular
Front. In March 2008, he started to work with Simone Gbagbo, wife of the former President
of the country, Laurent Gbagbo. The complainant was coordinator for religious matters in
Ms. Gbagbo’s cabinet and his cooperation with her consisted of financing the construction
of churches. He also encouraged churches to support Laurent Gbagbo. When the crisis that
followed the presidential election of November 2010 began, the complainant was ordered to
form a monitoring committee to investigate churches and mosques. The committee found
* Adopted by the Committee at its sixty-fourth session (23 July–10 August 2018).
** The following members of the Committee participated in the examination of the communication:
1
Essadia Belmir, Felice Gaer, Abdelwahab Hani, Claude Heller Rouassant, Jens Modvig, Ana Racu,
Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón, Sébastien Touzé, Bakhtiyar Tuzmukhamedov and Honghong Zhang.
The complainant requested anonymity on 7 January 2015.
GE.18-15678(E)