Communication No. 207/2002 Submitted by: Mr. Dragan Dimitrijevic (represented by counsel) Alleged victims: The complainant State party: Serbia and Montenegro Date of the complaint: 20 December 2001 The Committee against Torture, established under Article 17 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Meeting on 24 November 2004, Having concluded its consideration of complaint No. 207/2002, submitted to the Committee against Torture by Mr. Dragan Dimitrijevic 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 complainant, Adopts the following decision under article 22, paragraph 7, of the Convention 1. The complainant is Mr. Dragan Dimitrijevic, a Serbian citizen of Romani origin born on 7 March 1977. He claims to have been the victim of violations by Serbia and Montenegro of articles 2, paragraph 1, read in conjunction with article 1; article 16, paragraph 1; and articles 12, 13 and 14 taken alone and/or together with article 16, paragraph 1, of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. He is represented by the non-governmental organizations Humanitarian Law Centre, based in Belgrade, and European Roma Rights Centre, based in Budapest. The facts as submitted by the complainant 2.1 The complainant was arrested on 27 October 1999 at around 11 a.m. at his home in Kragujevac, Serbia, in connection with the investigation of a crime. He was taken to the local police station located in Svetozara Markovica Street. Upon arrival he was handcuffed to a radiator and beaten up by several police officers, some of whom the complainant knew by their first names or their nicknames. The police officers kicked and punched him all over his body while insulting his ethnic origins and cursing his “Gypsy mother”. One of the officers struck the complainant with a large metal bar. Some time later the officers unfastened the complainant from the radiator and handcuffed him to a bicycle. Then they continued punching and beating him with their nightsticks and the metal bar. Although the complainant began to bleed from his ears, the beating continued until he was released at about 4.30 p.m. 2.2 As a result of the ill-treatment the complainant had to stay in bed for several days. He sustained injuries on both arms and legs, an open wound on the back of his head and numerous injuries all over his back. For several days following the incident he bled from his left ear, and his eyes and lips remained swollen. Fearing reprisals by the police, the complainant did not go to hospital for treatment. Consequently, there is no official medical certificate documenting the 142