CAT/C/54/D/556/2013
Annex
Decision of the Committee against Torture under article 22 of
the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (fifty-fourth session)
concerning
Communication No. 556/2013*
Submitted by:
Z. (represented by counsel, Johan Lagerfeld)
Alleged victim:
The complainant
State party:
Sweden
Date of complaint:
11 July 2013 (initial submission)
The Committee against Torture, established under article 17 of the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
Meeting on 8 May 2015,
Having concluded its consideration of complaint No. 556/2013, submitted to it by Z.
under article 22 of the Convention,
Having taken into account all information made available to it by the complainant,
his counsel and the State party,
Adopts the following:
Decision under article 22 (7) of the Convention
1.1
The complainant is Z., a Russian national born in 1979. His request for asylum in
Sweden was rejected and, at the time of submission of the complaint, he was awaiting
forcible removal to the Russian Federation. He claims that his deportation would violate his
rights under article 3 of the Convention. The complainant is represented by counsel, Johan
Lagerfeld.
1.2
On 30 July 2013, acting under rule 114, paragraph 1, of its rules of procedure, the
Committee requested the State party to refrain from expelling the complainant to the
Russian Federation while his complaint was under consideration by the Committee.
The facts as presented by the complainant
2.1
The complainant submits that he and his brother are ethnic Chechens who resided in
Chechnya, in the Russian Federation. On 15 June 2010, the complainant’s brother was
apprehended near the village of Sernovodsk in Chechnya by armed men wearing masks.
While in detention, the brother was beaten up and tortured. He was, for instance, subjected
to electric shocks to his genitals and was held incommunicado and, after a trial, was
* The following members of the Committee participated in the consideration of the present
communication: Essadia Belmir, Alessio Bruni, Satyabhoosun Gupt Domah, Felice Gaer,
Abdoulaye Gaye, Jens Modvig, Sapana Pradhan-Malla, George Tugushi and Kening Zhang.
2