01 11 2021
In a groundbreaking verdict involving an asylum seeker from the Church of Almighty God in Switzerland, the U.N. Committee Against Torture declared that the danger is prevalent for Christians at large.
A historic decision by the United Nations Committee Against Torture regarding a Church of Almighty God (CAG) asylum seeker in Switzerland marked a significant setback for China. The Committee, responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Convention against Torture, ruled on July 27, 2021, in a case involving a female CAG member with a lengthy legal history.
The verdict dealt a severe blow to China by declaring that Christians in general, not solely members of banned religious movements like the CAG, are exposed to an “increasing incidence of persecution.” Consequently, sending the applicant back to China was deemed to pose a serious risk of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
The case’s background involves the asylum seeker’s unsuccessful attempts in Switzerland, starting with the rejection of her asylum application by the State Secretariat for Immigration in 2016. Subsequent appeals to the Swiss Federal Administrative Court and the European Court of Human Rights were also unsuccessful, leading her to submit a complaint to the Committee Against Torture in 2016.
The U.N. rejected Switzerland’s assertion that the complainant, being a CAG member, could not have obtained a passport if identified by Chinese authorities. The CAT emphasized the possibility of obtaining a passport through corruption and procedural loopholes, corroborated by expert statements.
The Committee concluded that there is ample evidence of an “increasing incidence of persecution of Christians in China” and that the complainant would face a risk of torture if returned. As a result, Switzerland was urged to refrain from deporting the applicant while her asylum application is under review.
This landmark decision is anticipated to establish a precedent, recognizing the vulnerability of members of “illegal” Christian groups, including the Church of Almighty God, to torture in China.
More on https://bitterwinter.org/un-christians-in-china-are-at-risk-of-torture