CAT/C/59/D/666/2015
United Nations
Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment
Distr.: General
23 January 2017
Original: English
Committee against Torture
Decision adopted by the Committee under article 22 of the
Convention, concerning communication No. 666/2015*, **
Communication submitted by:
L.P. (represented by counsel, John Phillip Sweeney)
Alleged victim:
The complainant
State party:
Australia
Date of complaint:
19 March 2015 (initial submission)
Date of adoption of decision:
1 December 2016
Subject matter:
Deportation to Sri Lanka; risk of torture
Substantive issue:
Non-refoulement
Procedural issue:
Admissibility — manifestly ill-founded
Articles of the Convention:
3 and 22
1.1
The complainant is L.P., a national of Sri Lanka of Tamil ethnicity, born in 1986. He
claims that his deportation to Sri Lanka would constitute a violation by Australia of article
3 of the Convention. The complainant is represented by counsel, John Phillip Sweeney.
Australia made the declaration under article 22 of the Convention on 28 January 1993.
1.2
On 23 March 2015, pursuant to rule 114, paragraph 1, of its rules of procedure, the
Committee, acting through its Rapporteur on new complaints and interim measures,
requested the State party not to expel the author while the complaint was being considered.
Facts as presented by the complainant
2.1
The complainant is a Sri Lankan citizen of Tamil ethnicity, with people of Sinhala
ethnicity in his family tree. He is a native of a town in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.
2.2
In 2005, his brother was shot 1 by persons who appeared to be part of the Sri Lankan
army. After the shooting, the complainant and his brother moved to another town where
they lived for approximately two years before returning to his home town.
* Adopted by the Committee at its fifty-ninth session (7 November-7 December 2016).
** The following members of the Committee participated in the examination of the communication:
Essadia Belmir, Alessio Bruni, Felice Gaer, Abdelwahab Hani, Claude Heller Rouassant, Jens
Modvig, Ana Racu, Sébastien Touzé and Kening Zhang.
GE.17-00972(E)