CCPR/C/122/D/2265/2013
3.10 Ms. Sharma has been unable to claim any compensation or redress, as the domestic
legal framework does not make it possible for her to do so. In view of the absence of an
investigation and her inability to obtain compensation, she is a victim of a violation of her
rights under article 7, on its own and read in conjunction with article 2 (3).
3.11 Regarding domestic remedies, Ms. Sharma submits that in view of the hostile
attitude of the national authorities that she faced after she had filed a writ of habeas corpus
with the Supreme Court (paras. 2.4 and 2.5), she considered it useless, if not dangerous, to
file a complaint with the police regarding the intimidation and threats of arrest that she
faced. As she was not considered a victim for the purposes of the Interim Relief
Programme, she could not benefit from it.
3.12 The authors further contend that no effective domestic remedy was available to
them. The 1996 Compensation Relating to Torture Act provides only for compensation, not
for criminal accountability, and it contains a 35-day term of limitation. As Mr. Sharma was
immediately rearrested after he was first released on 19 December 2005, he did not have a
chance to submit a complaint regarding the torture he had suffered from October 2003 to
March 2005. In any case, a civil court is unable to pursue an independent investigation or
make any meaningful findings regarding the responsibility of perpetrators for such serious
crimes. In addition, the State never implemented the provisions of the Peace Agreement,
the Interim Constitution or the ruling of the Supreme Court of 1 June 2007, all requiring
that enforced disappearances should be investigated and that victims be provided with a
remedy.
3.13 On 14 March 2013, the President of Nepal adopted the Commission on Investigation
of Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation Ordinance, 2069 (2012). In practice, the
commission is not yet operational, and the authors contend that it cannot be considered an
effective remedy, as it has the power only to refer cases for prosecution to the Attorney
General, who is appointed by the Government and is thus not an independent authority. In
addition, the commission has been granted discretion to recommend amnesty for
perpetrators of human rights violations when it is of the view that it would be “reasonable”
to do so.
3.14 The authors waited for the authorities to follow through on their commitment to
transitional justice until it became clear to them that no effective remedy would be
provided. To this day, the very fact of the author’s enforced disappearance between October
2003 and March 2005 is still being denied by the State authorities.
3.15 The authors request the Committee to recommend to the State party that it: (a) bring
the perpetrators of Mr. Sharma’s arbitrary deprivation of liberty, torture and enforced
disappearance before the competent civilian authorities for prosecution, judgment and
sanction, and disseminate publicly the results of those measures; (b) suspend from service
all army personnel against whom there is prima facie evidence of involvement in the crimes
against Mr. Sharma, pending the outcome of the investigation; (c) amend the Commission
on Investigation of Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation Ordinance adopted on
14 March 2013 to ensure that no one accused of gross human rights violations, including
torture, enforced disappearance and arbitrary killing, may benefit from any amnesty
provision exempting him or her from criminal responsibility; (d) ensure that persons
suspected of having committed those crimes are not in a position to influence the progress
of the investigation by means of pressure, acts of intimidation or reprisal against
complainants, witnesses, their families, their lawyers or other persons participating in the
investigation; (e) ensure that the authors obtain integral reparation and prompt, fair and
adequate compensation; (f) ensure that the measures of reparation cover material and moral
damages; and (g) adopt measures providing for restitution, rehabilitation, satisfaction and
guarantees of non-repetition. In particular, they request that the State party acknowledge its
international responsibility in a public ceremony held in the presence of the authorities and
the authors, to whom official apologies should be issued. The State party should also
provide the authors with medical and psychological care immediately and free of charge,
through its specialized institutions, and grant them access to free legal aid where necessary,
in order to provide them with effective and sufficient remedies. As a guarantee of nonrepetition, the State party should take the necessary measures to ensure that enforced
disappearance and torture, and the different forms of participation in those crimes,
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