A/HRC/34/54/Add.3 150. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of Greece for its reply, dated 6 July 2016, to the present communication. 151. The Special Rapporteur notes that the Government of Greece, in its reply, does not sufficiently address the concerns, legal obligations, and questions raised in the initial communication, available via the link above, with regards to the dismissal of the asylum applications of Mr. X and Mr. Y. Furthermore, the Government’s reply fails to address the adequate identification of their protection needs during the screening process and their risk of return to Turkey, where they are at risk of attacks and other forms of persecution as members of a minority group. 152. The Special Rapporteur expresses grave concern over the risk of a return to Turkey, where they might face torture because of Mr. X and Mr. Y are members of a minority group. Such a return would constitute a violation of article 3 of the Convention against Torture (CAT). This absolute prohibition against refoulement is stronger than that found in refugee law, meaning that persons may not be returned even when they may not otherwise qualify for refugee or asylum status under article 33 of the 1951 Refugee Convention or domestic law. Accordingly, non-refoulement under the CAT must be assessed independently of refugee or asylum status determinations, so as to ensure that the fundamental right to be free from torture or other ill-treatment is respected even in cases where non-refoulement under refugee law may be circumscribed (A/70/303). 153. It has come to the attention of the Special Rapporteur that, as of the drafting of this report, the Government of Greece is in the process of sending the Syrian refugees back to Turkey. The Special Rapporteur strongly urges the Government of Greece to protect the right of these two refugees to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as provided by articles 1, 2 and 16 of the CAT, and to refrain from deporting these individuals to Turkey where they risk torture, thereby ensuring compliance with article 3 of the CAT. Guatemala JOL 26/02/2016 Case No. GTM 2/2016 State Reply: 06/04/2016 y 24/05/2016 Denuncias relativas a los procesos judiciales respecto de militares en retiro acusados por desaparición forzada y delitos de lesa humanidad. 154. El Relator Especial agradece al Gobierno de Guatemala por su respuesta a la comunicacis por desaparición forzada y delitos de lesa humanidad. inhuman or degrading treatment, as provided by articles 1, 2 and 16 of the CAT, and to refrain from deporting thesro, acusados por desapariciones forzadas y delitos de lesa humanidad en cuatro casos (los casos de CREOMPAZ y Plan de Sánchez, entre otros). 155. En consecuencia, el Relator Especial acoge con benepl por su respuesta a la comunicacis por desaparición forzada ación del Estado al respecto del artículo 12 de la Convención contra la Tortura (CCT), que requiere que todo Estado Parte realice una investigación pronta e imparcial en caso de sospecha de tortura, y el artículo 7 de la Convención que requiere que todo Estado Parte enjuicie a los presuntos autores de actos de tortura. Asimismo, el Relator Especial aprecia la información recibida respecto de la emisión de sentencias condenatorias de 120 y 240 años de prisión para los dos acusados en el caso Sepur Zarco y el otorgamiento de reparaciones económicas en favor de los familiares de las víctimas y otras reparaciones de carácter simbólico. 156. Sin perjuicio de lo anterior, el Relator Especial lamenta la falta de informacide las víctimas y otras reparaciones de carácternces del proceso judicial seguido en el caso de 31

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