A/59/44 United Nations Report of the Committee against Torture Thirty-first session (10-21 November 2003) Thirty-second session (3-21 May 2004) General Assembly Official Records Fifty-ninth session Supplement No. 44 (A/59/44) A/59/44 General Assembly Official Records Fifty-ninth session Supplement No. 44 (A/59/44) Report of the Committee against Torture Thirty-first session (10-21 November 2003) Thirty-second session (3-21 May 2004) United Nations • New York, 2004 NOTE Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. CONTENTS Chapter Paragraphs Page I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS .................... 1 - 17 7 A. States parties to the Convention ....................................... 1 - 3 7 B. Sessions of the Committee ............................................... 4 7 C. Elections, membership and attendance at sessions ........... 5 7 D. Solemn declaration by the newly elected members ......... 6 7 E. Election of officers ........................................................... 7 8 F. Agendas ............................................................................ 8 - 9 8 G. Pre-sessional working group ............................................ 10 - 11 9 H. Lists of issues ................................................................... 12 - 14 9 I. Thematic rapporteurs ........................................................ 15 10 J. Participation of Committee members in other meetings ............................................................................ 16 10 K. Joint statement on the occasion of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture ......... 17 11 II. SUBMISSION OF REPORTS BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 19 OF THE CONVENTION ..................... 18 - 21 12 III. CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 19 OF THE CONVENTION ..................... 22 - 150 18 Bulgaria ...................................................................................... 28 - 36 19 Cameroon ................................................................................... 37 - 50 23 Chile ........................................................................................... 51 - 59 28 Colombia .................................................................................... 60 - 69 33 Croatia ........................................................................................ 70 - 81 38 GE.04-42978 (E) 041004 iii CONTENTS (continued) Chapter Paragraphs Page III. (cont’d) Czech Republic ........................................................................... 82 - 87 42 Germany ..................................................................................... 88 - 94 45 Latvia .......................................................................................... 95 - 104 48 Lithuania ..................................................................................... 105 - 113 52 Monaco ....................................................................................... 114 - 121 56 Morocco ...................................................................................... 122 - 129 58 New Zealand ............................................................................... 130 - 139 61 Yemen ........................................................................................ 140 - 150 64 IV. ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE UNDER ARTICLE 20 OF THE CONVENTION .................................... 151 - 240 69 A. General information .......................................................... 151 - 155 69 B. Summary account of the results of the proceedings concerning the inquiry on Serbia and Montenegro .......... 156 - 240 69 V. CONSIDERATION OF COMPLAINTS UNDER ARTICLE 22 OF THE CONVENTION .................................... 241- 272 91 A. General information .......................................................... 241 - 247 91 B. Interim measures of protection ......................................... 248 - 251 92 C. Progress of work ............................................................... 252 - 263 93 D. Follow-up activities .......................................................... 264 - 272 95 VI. FUTURE MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE ........................ 273 98 VII. ADOPTION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ITS ACTIVITIES ....................................... 274 99 iv CONTENTS (continued) Annexes Page I. States that have signed, ratified or acceded to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, as at 21 May 2004 ....................................................... 100 II. States parties that have declared, at the time of ratification or accession, that they do not recognize the competence of the Committee provided for by article 20 of the Convention, as at 21 May 2004 ................................................................................................. 105 III. States parties that have made the declarations provided for in articles 21 and 22 of the Convention, as at 21 May 2004 ................................. 106 IV. Membership of the Committee against Torture in 2004 ....................................... 108 V. Country rapporteurs and alternate rapporteurs for the reports of States parties considered by the Committee at its thirty-first and thirty-second sessions .................................................................... 109 VI. Working methods of the Committee against Torture when considering reports under article 19 of the Convention ........................................ 111 VII. Decisions of the Committee against Torture under article 22 of the Convention .................................................................................................. 115 A. Decisions on merits Communication No. 135/1999: S.G. v. The Netherlands ..................................... 115 Communication No. 148/1999: A.K. v. Australia ................................................ 123 Communication No. 153/2000: Z.T. v. Australia ................................................. 132 Communication No. 182/2001: A.I. v. Switzerland .............................................. 139 Communication No. 183/2001: B.S.S. v. Canada ................................................ 146 Communication No. 186/2001: K.K. v. Switzerland ............................................ 159 Communication No. 187/2001: Dhaou Belgacem Thabti v. Tunisia ................... 167 Communication No. 188/2001: Imed Abdelli v. Tunisia ...................................... 187 v CONTENTS (continued) Annexes Page VII. (cont’d) A. Decisions on merits (cont’d) Communication No. 189/2001: Bouabdallah LTAIEF v. Tunisia......................... 207 Communication No. 196/2002: M.A.M. v. Sweden............................................... 227 Communication No. 199/2002: Hanan Ahmed Fouad Abd El Khalek Attia v. Sweden .................................. 234 Communication No. 203/2002: A.R. v. The Netherlands ..................................... 247 Communication No. 209/2002: M.O. v. Denmark ............................................... 254 Communication No. 210/2002: V.R. v. Denmark ................................................. 260 Communication No. 213/2002: E.J.V.M. v. Sweden ............................................ 267 Communication No. 214/2002: M.A.K. v. Germany ............................................ 275 Communication No. 215/2002: J.A.G.V. v. Sweden ............................................ 288 Communication No. 228/2003: T.M. v. Sweden ................................................... 294 B. Decisions on inadmissibility Communication No. 202/2002: Helle Jensen v. Denmark ................................... 303 Communication No. 225/2003: R.S. v. Denmark ................................................. 314 Communication No. 229/2003: H.S.V. v. Sweden ................................................ 318 Communication No. 236/2003: A.T.A. v. Switzerland ......................................... 323 Communication No. 243/2004: S.A. v. Sweden .................................................... 325 vi I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS A. States parties to the Convention 1. As at 21 May 2004, the closing date of the thirty-second session of the Committee against Torture, there were 136 States parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 39/46 of 10 December 1984 and entered into force on 26 June 1987. 2. Since the last report, the Congo, Maldives and Swaziland have become parties to the Convention. Furthermore, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile and Ukraine have made the declaration under articles 21 and 22, whereas Burundi and Guatemala made the declaration under article 22. Ukraine withdrew its reservation to article 20 of the Convention. The list of States which have signed, ratified or acceded to the Convention is contained in annex I to the present report. The States parties that have declared that they do not recognize the competence of the Committee provided for by article 20 of the Convention are listed in annex II. The States parties that have made declarations provided for in articles 21 and 22 of the Convention are listed in annex III. 3. The text of the declarations, reservations or objections made by States parties with respect to the Convention may be found in the United Nations web site (www.un.org - Site