A/HRC/31/57/Add.1 treatment or punishment upon return to another country by way of extradition, expulsion or refoulement.” 610. The Rapporteur therefore strongly urges the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to protect the right of Mr. Hazara to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as provided by articles 1 and 16 of the CAT and article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to refrain from deporting him to Pakistan where he risks torture, thereby ensuring compliance with article 3 of the CAT. (b) JAL 01/04/2015 Case No. GBR 2/2015 State Reply: 15/07/2015 Allegation concerning the persistence of provisions relating to abortion that directly discriminate against women and girls in Northern Ireland as they restrict their rights to health and physical integrity under international human rights law. 611. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for its reply, dated 15 July 2015, to the present communication. 612. The Rapporteur takes note of the information provided by the Government of the allegation concerning abortions in Northern Ireland only being permitted if a woman’s life is at risk, or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health. The Rapporteur acknowledges the Government’s explanation that although Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, and subject to much of its legislation, its Parliament has not decided to adopt the provisions of the Abortion Act. The Rapporteur looks forward to the decision of the Northern Ireland Executive on whether or not it will seek to amend the law to enable women to terminate a pregnancy in the event of a diagnosis of lethal fetal abnormality. 613. In spite of the information supplied by the Government, its reply fails to inform the Rapporteur on pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. The Rapporteur hence finds that the Government, in its reply, does not sufficiently address the concerns, legal obligations, and questions raised in the initial communication. 614. The Rapporteur would like to draw the Government’s attention to his 2013 thematic report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/22/53) where he “call[ed] upon all States to ensure that women have access to emergency medical care, including post-abortion care without fear of criminal penalties or reprisals. States whose domestic law authorizes abortions under various circumstances should ensure that services are effectively available without adverse consequences to the woman or the health professional” (para. 90). He furthermore stated that international and regional human rights bodies have begun to recognize that abuse and mistreatment of women seeking reproductive health services can cause tremendous and lasting physical and emotional suffering, inflicted on the basis of gender (para. 46). Moreover, the Committee against Torture has repeatedly expressed concerns about restrictions on access to abortion as violating the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment (para. 50). 615. In the absence of information to the contrary, the Rapporteur concludes that there is substance in the allegations presented in the initial communication, available via the link above, and is therefore of the view that the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in failing to amend its abortion legislation in effect in Northern Ireland has violated the right of women to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as provided by articles 1 and 16 of the Convention Against Torture. 102