CCPR/C/125/D/2316/2013
United Nations
International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights
Distr.: General
14 May 2019
Original: English
Human Rights Committee
Views adopted by the Committee under article 5 (4) of the
Optional Protocol, concerning communication
No. 2316/2013*, **
Communication submitted by:
Arslan Dawletow (represented by counsel, Shane
H. Brady and Philip Brumley)
Alleged victim:
The author
State party:
Turkmenistan
Date of communication:
1 May 2013 (initial submission)
Document references:
Decision taken pursuant to rule 97 of the
Committee’s rules of procedure, transmitted to
the State party on 11 December 2013 (not issued
in document form)
Date of adoption of Views:
29 March 2019
Subject matter:
Conscientious objection to compulsory military
service
Procedural issue:
State party’s failure to cooperate
Substantive issues:
Freedom of conscience; inhuman and degrading
treatment
Articles of the Covenant:
7 and 18 (1)
Article of the Optional Protocol:
2
1.
The author of the communication is Arslan Dawletow, a national of Turkmenistan
born in 1992. He claims that the State party has violated his rights under articles 7 and 18 (1)
of the Covenant. The Optional Protocol entered into force for Turkmenistan on 1 August
1997. The author is represented by counsel.
The facts as submitted by the author
2.1
The author is a Jehovah’s Witness. He has never been charged with a criminal or
administrative offence other than his criminal conviction as a conscientious objector. The
author’s call-up for military service was deferred in 2010 and again in 2011 owing to his
* Adopted by the Committee at its 125th session (4–29 March 2019).
** The following members of the Committee participated in the examination of the communication:
Tania María Abdo Rocholl, Yadh Ben Achour, Ilze Brands Kehris, Christopher Arif Bulkan, Ahmed
Amin Fathalla, Shuichi Furuya, Christof Heyns, Bamariam Koita, Marcia V.J. Kran, Duncan Laki
Muhumuza, Photini Pazartzis, Hernán Quezada Cabrera, Vasilka Sancin, José Manuel Santos Pais,
Yuval Shany, Hélène Tigroudja, Andreas Zimmermann and Gentian Zyberi.
GE.19-07895(E)