11. Communication No. 143/1999 Submitted by: S.C. (name withheld) [represented by counsel] Alleged victims: The author State party: Denmark Date of communication: 17 August 1999 The Committee against Torture, established under article 17 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Meeting on 10 May 2000, Having concluded its consideration of communication No. 143/1999, submitted to the Committee against Torture under article 22 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Having taken into account all information made available to it by the author of the communication, his counsel and the State party, Adopts its views under article 22, paragraph 7, of the Convention. 1.1 The author of the communication is Ms. S.C., born on 21 August 1965, of Ecuadorian origin, currently seeking asylum in Denmark together with her three minor children. The author claims that she would risk torture if she is returned to Ecuador and that her forced return to that country therefore would constitute a violation by Denmark of article 3 of the Convention. The author is represented by the Danish nongovernmental organization "Let Bosnia Live". 1.2 In accordance with article 22, paragraph 3, of the Convention, the Committee transmitted the communication to the State party on 29 September 1999. Pursuant to rule 108, paragraph 9, of the Committee's rules of procedure, the State party was requested not to expel the author to Ecuador pending the consideration of her case by the Committee. In a submission of 29 November 1999 the State party informed the Committee that the author and her three minor children would not be expelled to her country of origin while her communication was under consideration by the Committee. The facts as presented by the author 2.1. The author states that she became a member of the illegal opposition party Partido Roldosista Ecuatoriano (PRE) in Santo Domingo in April 1995, but underlines that she had been an active supporter since 1985. According to the author, she was arrested on 28 May 1994 after having distributed political propaganda material. She was first held in detention for three days, when she was allegedly ill-treated by being pulled by the hair, beaten and threatened every three hours. The author further states that she was given a six-months 154