CAT/C/65/D/765/2016
rights violations, including the use of torture, in Ethiopia 19 and by the crackdown on
political dissidents and arrests of bloggers and journalists. 20 Nonetheless, it recalls that for
the purposes of article 3, the individual concerned must face a foreseeable, real, personal
and present risk of being tortured in the country to which he or she is returned, considering
that past arrests do not as such represent substantial grounds for believing that such a risk is
present. In this regard, the Committee emphasizes that no risk of torture or pressure by the
authorities is acceptable, even if not intolerable (see para. 4.5). Consequently, the
Committee considers that the information submitted by the complainant is insufficient to
establish that he would be at a foreseeable, real and personal risk of torture if he were
returned to Ethiopia.
8.
In the light of the foregoing, the Committee, acting under article 22 (7) of the
Convention, concludes that the return of the complainant to Ethiopia by the State party
would not constitute a violation of article 3 of the Convention.
19
20
The Committee notes that Ethiopia is also a State party to the Convention, and recalls its concluding
observations on the initial report of Ethiopia (CAT/C/ETH/CO/1, paras. 10–14).
See Human Rights Watch, “Such a brutal crackdown”.
11