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The Human Rights Committee,
established under article 28 of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights,
Meeting on 16 March 2006,
Having concluded its consideration of communication No. 1071/2002, submitted
to the Human Rights Committee on behalf of Mr. Valery Agabekov under the
Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights,
Having taken into account all written information made available to it by
the author of the communication, and the State party,
Adopts the following:
VIEWS UNDER ARTICLE 5, PARAGRAPH 4, OF THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL
1.1 The author is Mrs. Nadezhda Agabekova, an Uzbek national born in 1953.
She submits the communication on behalf of her son, Valery Agabekov, also an
Uzbek national, born in 1975, who at the time of submission of the
communication was sentenced to death by the Tashkent Regional Court. The
author claims that her son is a victim of violation by Uzbekistan, of his
rights under articles 6; 7; 10; 14; 15; and 16, of the Covenant [FN1]. She
is unrepresented.
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[FN1] The Optional Protocol entered into force for the State party on 28
December 1995.
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1.2 On 11 April 2002, the Committee, acting through its Special Rapporteur
on New Communications and Interim Measures, requested the State party not
carry out Mr. Agebekov's execution while his case is under consideration. On
30 May 2002, the State party replied that the alleged victim's death
sentence was commuted to 20 years' imprisonment on 23 April 2002, and that
following an Amnesty Act, his prison term was further reduced by one third.
THE FACTS AS PRESENTED BY THE AUTHOR
2.1 On 29 January 2001, the author's son and his brother in law, Annenkov,
were arrested as suspects in relation to the murder and robbery, on 27
January 2001, of their acquaintance M. and his companion S.
2.2 In an attempt to force them to confess their guilt, both suspects were
allegedly beaten and tortured by the investigators during the initial stages
of the investigation. The author provides 3 undated letters from her son, in
which he claims to be innocent of the crime and affirms that he was only
waiting in front of the door of the apartment of the murdered individuals,
while it was Annenkov who entered in the apartment and killed them after an
argument over money at around 7 a.m. on 27 January 2001. Only after the
murder was he brought into the apartment by his brother-in-law. He provides
details of the alleged ill-treatment and torture he was subjected to during
the first week of the investigation: he claims he was beaten and
investigators attempted to rape him while he was handcuffed to a radiator,
and because he resisted they knocked his head onto the radiator. He alleges
he was beaten with a plastic bag placed on his head to make him suffer
additionally as he was prevented from breathing. He alleges that when he
asked for a medical doctor, the investigators told him that they only could
call for a grave-digger. He states that his brother in law was also beaten,
and as a result suffered broken ribs and urinated blood.
2.3 The author affirms that she visited her son (on an unspecified date) in
the Temporary Detention Isolation Centre in Akhangaran City, and found him
to be in very poor condition: his head and hair were coated with blood, his
face was bloated and distorted, he could not talk and was barely able to
move his lips. He whispered that he felt pain everywhere, that he was unable
to walk or stand, that he urinated blood, and that he could not talk because
his jaw was either dislocated or broken. The author requested the
penitentiary authorities to have her son examined by a medical doctor, but
was answered that once in prison, he would have his face treated with "zelionka"
(a green antiseptic). They allegedly told her that such treatment was
usually reserved to prisoners on death row.
2.4 The preliminary investigation was concluded on 8 May 2001. Both Agabekov
and Annekov were charged with murder, robbery, and with illegal acquisition
and storing of large amounts of heroin.
2.5 On 18 September 2001, the Tashkent Regional Court found Agabekov and his
co-accused guilty of committing a premeditated attack, acting in a group,
and murdering the two individuals to take over their possessions, under
aggravating circumstances, and of illegal acquisition and storage of heroin.
The court sentenced them to death, with a confiscation of their property.
2.6 According to the author, at the beginning of the trial, her son
complained about the torture and ill-treatment suffered and requested an
investigation and a medical examination, but the presiding judge rejected
his claims, arguing that "he was a murderer" and he was only trying to avoid
criminal liability.
2.7 On 12 November 2001, the Appeal Chamber of the Tashkent Regional Court
modified the sentence, excluding the confiscation of property part. The
death sentences were however upheld.
2.8 The author states that when she visited her son on 11 April 2002, she
learned that he was made to sign a renunciation of any entitlement to
request a presidential pardon. When she asked for clarifications, she was
told by the prison authorities that "when a person does not admit his/her
guilt, he/she must renounce any request for a pardon" [FN2].
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[FN2] The case file contains however copies of two requests for Presidential
pardon of the author's son's death sentence, one signed by the author and
dated 12 April 2002, and another one, undated, and signed by four of her
neighbours, both addressed to the President's Office.
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2.9 On 23 April 2002, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan modified the sentences
of both Agabekov and Annenkov and commuted the death sentences to 20 year
prison term. The Amnesty Act of 22 August 2001 was also applied to them, and
the remaining part of their sentence to be served was reduced by one third.
THE COMPLAINT
3.1 The author claims that in violation of article 6 of the Covenant, the
Tashkent Regional Court imposed her son's death sentence arbitrarily,
notwithstanding that the law provided a prison term as a possible
alternative [FN3] (15 to 20 years' imprisonment). After his conviction, he
was allegedly made to sign a statement that he renounced the right to seek a
Presidential pardon.
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[FN3] The author refers in this relation to a Ruling of the Plenum of the
Supreme Court of 20 December 1996, pursuant to which death penalty
constitutes an exceptional measure of punishment, and in cases of murder
with aggravating circumstances the law admits it, but does not require its
compulsory imposition.
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3.2 The author claims that her son was tortured and ill-treated by
investigators, to force him to confess guilt. Her son requested the trial
court to order an investigation and a (medical) examination of the result of
the beatings, but the request was rejected. During the preliminary
investigation, both her son and the author requested, without result, to
have a medical doctor take care of him. This part of the communication
appears to raise issues under articles 7 and 10, of the Covenant, even
though the author does not invoke these provisions specifically.
3.3 According to the author, her son's trial did not meet the requirements
of due process. She claims that (a) the presiding judge had determined her
son's guilt before the end of the trial; (b) evidence were not examined in
depth, nor objectively; (c) her son's conviction was based primarily on
Annenkov's testimony, notwithstanding the murder knife was found in
Annenkov's home; (d) the investigators did not reconstruct the crime,
interrogated only Annenkov at the scene of the crime, and neither the
investigation nor the court established who exactly murdered the victims;
(e) the trial court fully accepted the prosecution charges, thus
demonstrating that the trial was biased; (f) during the trial, the presiding
judge constantly humiliated the two co-accused, interrupted Agabekov and
commented on his answers, thus failing in his duty of impartiality.
3.4 The author argues that her son's sentence was determined without taking
into account information about his personality and circumstances - i.e. that
he has a young child and has a good reputation both at home and at work. The
court did not take into account the fact that prior to the murder, M. had
also committed unlawful acts.
3.5 Mr. Agabekov's presumption of innocence was allegedly violated, as he
was obliged to prove his innocence, and the court established his guilt on
the basis of indirect evidence. Article 463 of the Uzbek Criminal Code
stipulates that convictions may only be grounded on evidence upon
verification of all possible circumstances of the commission of the crime.
The author states that the courts simply ignored doubts in relation to her
son's guilt.
3.6 According to the author, the trial court wrongly held that the murder
had been committed "with particular violence". The "particular violence"
prerequisite relates only to cases where the victim is subjected to torture
or humiliation. In her son's case, according to the author, the victims were
not subjected to torture but died instantly.
3.7 Finally, and without further substantiating the claim, the author
affirms that her son is also a victim of violations of his rights under
articles 15 and 16 of the Covenant.
STATE PARTY'S OBSERVATIONS
4.1 The State party presented its observations on 30 May 2002. It recalls
that on 18 September 2001, Mr. Annenkov and his co-accused were found guilty
and sentenced to death, with a confiscation of property, by the Tashkent
Regional Court of having murdered and robbed Mr. M. and his companion S.
Under the pretext of borrowing money from their victims, they came to M.'s
apartment and there they administered several stabs with a knife to both
victims, in a particularly violent manner. The victims died from the
injuries and due to blood loss. After having taken 28 000 sums and electric
interrupters valued at 4600 sums, they left. Later in the day, they bought
six doses of heroin from one K., and after having injected themselves with
four, kept the remaining two with them. These were later seized from
Annenkov's apartment.
4.2 On 12 November 2001, the Tashkent Regional Court re-qualified the crimes
in relation to the murders [FN4], but maintained the death sentences. On 23
April 2002, the Supreme Court quashed the sentences of death and commuted
them to 20 years' imprisonment.
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[FN4] In fact, as far as the robbery is concerned, initially, on 18
September 2001, the Tashkent Regional Court has sentenced the author's son
to 14 years' of imprisonment with confiscation of his property, under
article 164, part 3 (b) (robbery made by a particularly dangerous
recidivist) ; the possible sanction was between 15 and 20 years' of
imprisonment. On 12 November 2001, the appeal instance of the same Court
modified the judgment, by sentencing him, in relation to the robbery, to 10
years' of imprisonment under article 164, part 2 (a, b) instead (robbery
made by an organised criminal association (crime, for which the law provided
10 to 15 years' of imprisonment).
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AUTHOR'S COMMENTS ON THE STATE PARTY'S OBSERVATIONS
5.1 The author presented comments on 30 August 2002. She confirms that her
son was removed from death row on 10 May 2002. She notes that the State
party's reply does not contain information on investigations undertaken in
relation to her son's torture and ill-treatment by the police officials of
the Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Akhangaran
City. She recalls that her son sustained severe injuries during the
preliminary investigation, and when he complained about it in court and gave
the names of those responsible (the Chief of the Criminal Search Department,
R.Kh, his subordinates, and an investigator from the Prosecution's Office,
F.) , the court replied that these allegations amounted to a defence
strategy.
5.2 The author states that her son never confessed guilt, neither during the
investigation nor in court, and that he was only a witness at the crime
scene, and that there was no direct evidence of his involvement in the
murders. Under article 23 of the Uzbek Criminal Code, an accused does not
have to prove his innocence. All doubts about guilt must be weighed in
favour of the accused. However, according to her, in her son's case, the
court failed to respect these principles.
5.3. By letters of 20 September 2004, 16 June 2005 and 18 November 2006, the
author was requested to submit supplementary information. No reply was
received. On 4 December 2006, the author informed the Committee that her son
remains imprisoned in a penitentiary colony in Akhangaran City.
ISSUES AND PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF ADMISSIBILITY
6.1 Before considering any claim contained in a communication, the Human
Rights Committee must, in accordance with rule 93 of its rules of procedure,
decide whether or not it is admissible under the Optional Protocol to the
Covenant.
6.2 The Committee notes that the same matter is not being examined under any
other international procedure, as required by article 5, paragraph 2 (a), of
the Optional Protocol, and that the State party has not presented any
objection on the issue of non-exhaustion of domestic remedies.
6.3 The author invokes a violation of her son's right under article 6, of
the Covenant, since he was sentenced to death without any possibility of an
alternative sentence and, later he was made to sign a statement renouncing
his right to seek a pardon. The State party has not commented on these
allegations. The Committee notes that the author's son's death sentence was
commuted to 20 years' imprisonment by the Supreme Court on 23 April 2002.
Moreover, and notwithstanding the content of paragraph 2.8 above, the
Committee notes, that the author, on 12 April 2002, did file a pardon
application with the President's office, and another such application was
filed by four of her neighbours on an unspecified date. In the
circumstances, and in the absence of any other pertinent information by the
parties in this regard, the Committee considers that the author has failed
to sufficiently substantiate her claim, for purposes of admissibility. This
part of the communication is therefore inadmissible under article 2, of the
Optional Protocol.
6.4 The Committee notes the author's allegations under article 14 set out in
paragraphs 3.3-3.7 above, that were not refuted by the State party. It
observes, however, that these allegations relate primarily to the evaluation
of facts and evidence by the courts. It recalls that it is generally for the
courts of States parties to the Covenant to evaluate facts and evidence in a
particular case, unless it can be ascertained that it was clearly arbitrary
or amounted to a denial of justice [FN5]. In the absence of other pertinent
information that would show that evaluation of evidence indeed suffered from
such deficiencies in the present case, as well as in the absence of a copy
of any court record, or copies of the complaints filed in this connection or
information on the authorities' reaction to such complaints, the Committee
considers this part of the communication to be inadmissible under article 2
of the Optional Protocol.
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[FN5] See, inter alia, Communication No 541/1993, Errol Simms v. Jamaica,
Inadmissibility decision adopted on 3 April 1995, paragraph 6.2.
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6.5 The Committee considers that the author's allegation that her son is a
victim of violations of articles 15 and 16 is inadmissible under article 2
of the Optional Protocol as it has not been sufficiently substantiated.
6.6 The Committee finds the remaining part of the author's allegations that
appear to raise issues under articles 7 and 10 in the light of paragraphs
2.2-2.3, 2.6 and 3.2 above, to be sufficiently substantiated for purposes of
admissibility.
CONSIDERATION OF THE MERITS
7.1 The Human Rights Committee has considered the communication in the light
of all the information made available to it by the parties, as provided for
under article 5, paragraph 1, of the Optional Protocol.
7.2 The author claims that her son was tortured and ill-treated by the
investigators to make him confess guilt, that he was refused medial care in
detention, and that when he complained about torture in court, the presiding
judge refused to order an inquiry or request a medical examination. The
Committee recalls that once a complaint against maltreatment contrary to
article 7 is lodged, a State party is under a duty to investigate it
promptly and impartially [FN6]. In the absence of any information by the
State party, in particular in relation to any inquiry made by the
authorities both in the context of the author's son's criminal case or in
the context of the present communication, and in light of the detailed
description provided by the author of how her son was ill-treated by
investigators, the methods of torture used, and the names of those
responsible, due weight must be given to the author's allegations. In the
circumstances of the case, the Committee concludes that the facts as
presented disclose a violation of article 7 of the Covenant.
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[FN6] General Comment on article 7, No. 20 [44], adopted on 3 April 1992,
paragraph 14.
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7.3 In light of the above conclusion, the Committee does not consider it
necessary to examine the author's claim under article 10.8. The Human Rights
Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view
that the facts before it disclose a violation of the author's son's rights
under article 7 of the Covenant.
9. In accordance with article 2, paragraph 3 (a), of the Covenant, the State
party is under an obligation to provide Mr. Agabekov with an effective
remedy, including compensation. The State party is also under an obligation
to prevent similar violations in the future.
10. Bearing in mind that, by becoming a party to the Optional Protocol, the
State party has recognized the competence of the Committee to determine
whether there has been a violation of the Covenant or not and that, pursuant
to article 2 of the Covenant, the State party has undertaken to ensure to
all individuals within its territory or subject to its jurisdiction the
rights recognized in the Covenant and to provide an effective and
enforceable remedy in case a violation has been established, the Committee
wishes to receive from the State party, within 90 days, information about
the measures taken to give effect to the Committee's Views. The State party
is also requested to publish the Committee's Views.
[Adopted in English, French and Spanish, the English text being the original
version. Subsequently to be issued also in Arabic, Chinese and Russian as
part of the Committee's annual report to the General Assembly.]
Made public by decision of the Human Rights Committee.
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