CAT/C/29/D/204/2002 page 6 Iranian authorities on whether the complainant had been convicted in absentia, but felt that this may not lead anywhere or may involve a risk that the complainant be considered “guilty by association”. 4.5 The State party contends that the complainant’s account of events contains a number of inconsistencies and shortcomings. Although the State party is aware of the Committee’s view that complete accuracy seldom can be expected from victims of torture, it considers that these must be held against him in an assessment of his credibility. The State party notes the complainant’s argument that the contradictions in his account of events related to the fact that he allegedly suffers from the after-effects of torture. It notes, however, that the complainant did not mention that he had been tortured (or twice attempted to take his life while in prison) until his appeal to the Aliens Appeals Board. Thus, he did not mention it either in the interviews before the Migration Board or in his additional observations to the Migration Board, which were drafted with the assistance of his counsel. 4.6 The State party also notes that at no time during the proceedings did the complainant provide any details regarding the alleged torture. In the State party’s view, the one medical report (issued 23 May 1990) submitted in this case does not afford any support for the allegation that the complainant suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Neither does it contain information to the effect that during the medical examination scars were found on his lips and in his oral cavities. The State party is therefore of the opinion that the reference to his alleged experiences of torture does not suffice as an explanation for the inconsistencies of his account of events. 4.7 On the issue of the complainant’s involvement in political activities, the State party notes that he has not submitted any evidence of these activities or of his claim that the Iranian authorities were aware of his activities. The State party argues that this lack of evidence should be noted particularly in view of the fact that during the asylum proceedings the complainant provided clearly conflicting information regarding whether or not he had been politically active in Iran. Furthermore, he submitted different information regarding both the reasons for the arrests and the length of time of the arrests that were allegedly consequences of these activities. If the Committee decides to accept the complainant’s statements on this issue, the State party argues that the complainant claimed only to be a supporter and not a member of the organization Cherikhaj Fadai Schalg and his activities appear to have been “low key” in nature and extent. For these reasons he would never have been more than a minor interest to the Iranian authorities. Therefore, in the State party’s view it is unlikely that the incident in the park was prompted by the complainant’s political background as argued by him in his Migration Board application in 1990. 4.8 On the issue of the complainant’s account of the incident with the guards in 1989, the State party submits that the complainant altered his version of events in several important respects. Inconsistencies are to be found in respect of the time, place and reason for the alleged attack, as well as the course of events and the consequences thereof. In particular, the State party highlights the new facts, submitted in the complainant’s application to the Government on 10 January 2002, that his girlfriend was with him at the time of the incident and that the guards