CCPR/C/126/D/2570/2015
do not satisfy the conventional standards and has even considered the practices of illtreatment in custody and the lack of investigation to constitute a systemic problem. 30
7.5
Finally, on 24 November 2017, the author’s counsel informed the Committee that
the author was arrested on 21 November 2017, based on an order of preventive detention
issued on 21 July 2014 with a view to his “material rendition” to the requesting State. The
author has never been formally served with that order. Then on 28 December 2017, counsel
informed the Committee that on 11 December 2017, the author was handed to the
Ukrainian authorities.
Issues and proceedings before the Committee
Consideration of admissibility
8.1
Before considering any claims contained in a communication, the Committee must
decide, in accordance with rule 97 of its rules of procedure, whether it is admissible under
the Optional Protocol.
8.2
The Committee has to ascertain, as required by article 5 (2) (a) of the Optional
Protocol, whether the same matter is being examined under another procedure of
international investigation or settlement. The Committee observes that, on 11 August 2014,
the author presented an application based on the same facts before the European Court of
Human Rights. However, on 30 October 2014 and 13 November 2014, a single judge
formation of the Court rejected the application. The Committee notes, however, that the
Court’s decision does not set forth a justification for the inadmissibility finding and that
there is no clarification as to the basis of the decision. The letter from the Court stated that
on the basis of the items of evidence in its possession and insofar as it was competent to
decide on the complaints submitted to it, it had concluded that the author’s application did
not meet the admissibility criteria established under articles 34 and 35 of the European
Convention on Human Rights. The Committee also notes that the State party did not
challenge the author’s argument concerning the non-preclusive effect of the decision of the
European Court.
8.3
The Committee recalls its case law relating to article 5 (2) (a) of the Optional
Protocol, according to which, when the European Court bases a declaration of
inadmissibility not solely on procedural grounds, but also on grounds arising from some
degree of consideration of the substance of the case, then the matter should be deemed to
have been examined within the meaning of the respective reservations to article 5. However,
the Committee also recalls that, even in cases where applications have been declared
inadmissible for lack of an appearance of a violation, the limited reasoning outlined in some
decisions of this sort do not enable the Committee to assume that the European Court has
examined a case on the merits.31 In the present case, the Committee notes that the decision
of the European Court does not state that the appearance of a violation was not observed
but rather indicates simply that the application fails to meet admissibility requirements,
without further explanation. Accordingly, the Committee considers that it is not precluded
from examining the present communication under article 5 (2) (a) of the Optional Protocol.
8.4
The Committee notes the author’s claim that he has exhausted all effective domestic
remedies available to him. In the absence of any objection by the State party in that
connection, the Committee considers that it is not precluded from examining the
communication under article 5 (2) (b) of the Optional Protocol.
8.5
The Committee takes note of the author’s claims that by allowing his extradition to
Ukraine, the State party would violate his rights under articles 7, 9 (1), (3) and (4) and 10 (1)
and (2) of the Covenant. It notes the author’s allegations that, upon return to Ukraine, he
30
31
See, for example, Vasiliy Ivashchenko v. Ukraine, application No. 760/03, judgment of 26 July 2012,
paras. 80 and 83; Yevgeniy Petrenko v. Ukraine, application No. 55749/08, judgment of 29 January
2015, para. 70; and Kaverzin v. Ukraine, application No. 23893/03, judgment of 15 May 2012, paras.
180–182.
See, for example, Achabal Puertas v. Spain (CCPR/C/107/D/1945/2010), para. 7.3, and A.G.S. v.
Spain (CCPR/C/115/D/2626/2015), para. 4.2.
9