UN human rights experts urge Italy to seek return of illegally deported Kazakh mother and daughter

Three United Nations human rights experts, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, François Crépeau, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Juan E. Méndez, and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Gabriela Knau,l have called on the Italian authorities to spare no efforts to facilitate the return to Italy of Kazakh national Alma Shalabayeva and her six-year-old daughter who were unlawfully deported to Kazakhstan on May 31th 2013.

Ms. Shalabayeva and her daughter were legal residents in the European Union and living in Italy when they were expelled. In the press release issued on July 18th 2013, the experts say the actions of the Italian authorities had violated guarantees of due process and deprived Ms. Shalabayeva of her right to appeal against deportation and to apply for asylum, highlighting how the circumstances of the deportation gave rise to the appearance that this was in fact an extraordinary rendition.

Accorging to the experts, the authorities also appeared to have ignored concerns that Ms. Shalabayeva might be at risk of being persecuted, tortured or subjected to other forms of ill-treatment upon her forcible return to Kazakhstan due to her husband political activities.

"We are encouraged to see that Italy has now publicly recognized that the deportation of Ms. Shalabayeva and her daughter was unlawful and unacceptable", said the UN experts. They welcomed the decision to officially revoke the deportation order and the announcement that investigations were under way to determine responsibility for the illegal expulsion.

Italy is a State party to many international treaties which prohibit the expulsion, refoulement or extradition of a person to a State where it is feared he or she would be at risk of persecution and/or torture or cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment, including the 1984 UN Convention against Torture and the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees.

Last update

29/7/2013