Information Note on the Court’s case-law No.
April 1997
H.L.R. v. France - 24573/94
Judgment 29.4.1997 [GC]
Article 3
Expulsion
Deportation order against Colombian national convicted of drug trafficking: expulsion would not constitute a violation
[This summary is extracted from the Court’s official reports (Series A or Reports of Judgments and Decisions). Its formatting and structure may therefore differ from the Case-Law Information Note summaries.]
Case-law reiterated: right of Contracting States to control the entry, residence and expulsion of aliens - absolute character of Article 3.
Court not bound by findings in Commission's report and free to verify and assess facts itself.
Possibility that Article 3 of the Convention might also apply where danger emanated from persons or groups of persons who were not public officials not to be ruled out. However, it has to be shown that risk is real and that authorities of receiving State are not able to obviate risk by providing appropriate protection.
General situation of violence existing in country of destination, but would not in itself entail, in the event of deportation, a violation of Article 3.
No relevant evidence in instant case to show that alleged risk was real or to support claim that applicant's personal situation would have been worse than that of other Colombians, were he to be deported. Moreover, applicant had not shown that Colombian authorities were incapable of affording him appropriate protection.
Conclusion: no violation, in the event of deportation order being executed (fifteen votes to six).
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This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.
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