CCPR/C/127/D/2956/2017
8.5
The authors recall that in X v. Denmark, the Committee considered that States
parties should give sufficient weight to the real and personal risk that individuals might face
following their removal. 26 The authors also recall Y.A.A. and F.H.M. v. Denmark, in which
the Committee observed that the experiences of the removed person in the first country of
asylum under the Dublin Regulation may underscore special risks that they are likely to
face and may thus render their return to the first country of asylum a particularly traumatic
experience.27 The authors note that, in Hashi v. Denmark, the Committee considered that it
had been incumbent upon the State party to undertake an individualized assessment of the
risk that the authors would face in Italy, rather than rely on general assumptions and
reports.28 The author, in that case, had claimed difficulties in accessing sufficient food and
medical care in Italy, to have been undernourished, to have fainted often and to almost have
had a miscarriage.29
8.6
The authors submit that their case is similar to that of the authors in Y.A.A. and
F.H.M. v. Denmark and Hashi v. Denmark in that they too experienced inhuman treatment
in the country of first asylum and serious harm after their removal from Austria. They claim
to have been extremely vulnerable and maintain that the State party did not examine their
claim that they would face unbearable living conditions in Bulgaria.
Issues and proceedings before the Committee
State party’s failure to respect the Committee’s request for interim measures pursuant to
rule 94 of its rules of procedure
9.1
The Committee notes that the adoption of interim measures pursuant to rule 94 of its
rules of procedure, in accordance with article 1 of the Optional Protocol, is vital to the role
entrusted to the Committee under that article. Failure to respect the interim measure
requested by the Committee with a view to preventing irreparable harm undermines the
protection of the rights enshrined in the Covenant.
9.2
As indicated in paragraph 19 of the Committee’s general comment No. 33 (2008) on
the obligations of States parties under the Optional Protocol, failure to implement interim
measures is incompatible with the obligation to respect in good faith the procedure of
individual communications established under the Optional Protocol. The Committee is
therefore of the view that, by failing to respect the request for interim measures transmitted
to the State party on 14 February 2017 and reiterated on 15 March 2017, the State party
failed in its obligations under article 1 of the Optional Protocol.
Consideration of admissibility
10.1 Before considering any claims contained in a communication, the Committee must
decide, in accordance with rule 97 of its rules of procedure, whether it is admissible under
the Optional Protocol.
10.2 The Committee has ascertained, as required under article 5 (2) (a) of the Optional
Protocol, that the same matter is not being examined under any other procedure of
international investigation or settlement.
10.3 The Committee notes the State party’s argument that the authors did not exhaust
domestic remedies, as they filed the present communication while their appeal against the
rejection of their asylum applications was still pending before the Federal Administrative
Court, after which the authors could have appealed to both the Supreme Administrative
Court and the Constitutional Court. The Committee further notes the State party’s argument
that such remedies must be considered effective because, while an appeal against a firstinstance rejection of an asylum application does not automatically suspend removal under
the Dublin Regulation, the State party would have been under the obligation to immediately
take back the authors in case of an outcome favourable to them.
26
27
28
29
X v. Denmark (CCPR/C/110/D/2007/2010), para. 9.2.
Y.A.A. and F.H.M. (CCPR/C/119/D/2681/2015), para. 7.7.
Hashi v. Denmark (CCPR/C/120/D/2470/2014), para. 9.10.
Ibid.
11