Conde Conde v. Spain, Comm. 1527/2006, U.N. Doc. A/63/40, Vol. II, at 457 (HRC 2008)

			International Case Law Database 50,000+ decisions · 50+ institutions

	Follow @worldcourts

U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/92/D/1527/2006

Communication No. 1527/2006

1 April 2008

human rights committee

Ninety-second session

17 March – 4 April 2008

Mario Conde Conde

Spain

Decisions

BEFORE:	CHAIRPERSON: Mr. Rafael Rivas Posada (Colombia) VICE-CHAIRPERSONS: Mr. Ahmed Tawfik Khalil (Egypt), Ms. Elisabeth Palm (Sweden), Mr. Ivan Shearer (Australia) RAPPORTEUR: Mr. Abdelfattah Amor (Tunisia) MEMBERS: Mr. Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati (India), Ms. Christine Chanet (France), Mr. Maurice Glele Ahanhanzo (Benin), Mr. Yuji Iwasawa (Japan), Mr. Edwin Johnson Lopez (Ecuador), Mr. Walter Kalin (Switzerland), Mr. Rajsoomer Lallah (Mauritius), Ms. Zonke Zanele Majodina (South Africa), Ms. Iulia Antoanella Motoc (Romania), Mr. Michael O’Flaherty (Ireland), Sir Nigel Rodley (United Kingdom), Mr. Jose Luis Sanchez-Cerro (Peru), Ms. Ruth Wedgwood (United States)

PermaLink:	http://www.worldcourts.com/hrc/eng/decisions/2008.04.01_Conde_Conde_v_Spain.htm

Citation:	Conde Conde v. Spain, Comm. 1527/2006, U.N. Doc. A/63/40, Vol. II, at 457 (HRC 2008)
Publications:	Report of the Human Rights Committee, U.N. GAOR, 63rd Sess., Supp. No. 40, U.N. Doc. A/63/40, Vol. II, Annex VI, sect. Q, at 457 (Oct.1, 2008)
Represented By:	José Luis Mazón Costa

The Human Rights Committee, established under article 28 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

Meeting on 1 April 2008,

Adopts the following:

DECISION ON ADMISSIBILITY

1. The author of the communication, dated 1 September 2006, is Mario Conde Conde, a Spanish citizen born in 1948. He claims to be a victim of a violation by Spain of article 14, paragraph 1, of the Covenant. The Optional Protocol entered into force for Spain on 25 April 1985. He is represented by counsel, José Luis Mazón Costa. [FN1]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[FN1] The author is currently serving his sentence in a tercer grado penitenciario (lowest category within the prison system, which allows for day release).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

2.1 The author, former chairman of the Banco Español de Crédito (Banesto), was convicted on 31 March 2000 by the Spanish National High Court (Audiencia Nacional) on two counts of misappropriation and fraud. On appeal, the Supreme Court partly reversed this decision convicting him on an additional count of misappropriation and forgery and increasing the sentence accordingly.

2.2 The author submitted a communication under the Optional Protocol on 7 January 2003, alleging a violation of article 14, paragraph 5, because (a) the Supreme Court did not secure a full review of the decision handed down by the National High Court and dealt only with procedural issues, and (b) he was denied any kind of review in relation to his conviction and increased sentence imposed by the Supreme Court. On 31 October 2006, the Committee found the first claim inadmissible in light of the judgement of the Supreme Court, which carefully examined in detail the trial court's evaluation of the evidence and diverged to some extent from the High Court's assessment in respect of two of the charges. With regard to the second claim, the Committee found that the author's conviction on two counts for which he had been acquitted on first instance and the consequent aggravation of his sentence without any possibility of further review constituted a violation of article 14, paragraph 5, of the Covenant.

THE COMPLAINT

3. Referring to the same case, the author now claims to be a victim of a violation of article 14, paragraph 1, of the Covenant, because the witnesses who testified during his trial were allegedly partial as they had already testified before the prosecutor.

ISSUES AND PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE

4.1 Pursuant to rule 93 of its rules of procedure, before considering any claim contained in a complaint, the Human Rights Committee must determine whether it is admissible under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

4.2 The Committee notes that the author had already previously submitted a communication, based on exactly the same facts as set out above and that this communication was considered by the Committee on 31 October 2006. It further notes that the author has neither presented any new facts which occurred since that date nor provided any explanation as to why he was unable to raise the present claim at the time of submitting his initial communication. Under these circumstances, the Committee considers that the author's present claim constitutes an abuse of the right to submit a complaint and declares it inadmissible under article 3 of the Optional Protocol.

4.3 The Human Rights Committee therefore decides:

(a) That the communication is inadmissible under article 3 of the Optional Protocol;

(b) That the decision be transmitted to the State party, to the author and to his counsel.

[Adopted in English, French and Spanish, the Spanish 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.

Home | Terms & Conditions | About