The author of the communication is Gerard John Griffin, a Canadian citizen, who was convicted for drug trafficking in Spain. Relying on the Articles 7, 9, 10, 14, 17, and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, he claimed that he was subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment based on the harsh conditions of the prison, he was arrested unlawfully as there was no evidence against him, moreover he was kept with convicted prisoners. The author also claimed the violation of the right to fair trial because of his inadequate preparation and conduct of defense and incompetent court interpreter. He also claimed being discriminated against.
The committee found a violation of Article 10 paragraphs 1 and 2 based on the conditions of the prison where Mr. Griffin was detained.
Citation: Griffin v. Spain (UN Human Rights Committee, 4 April 1995) UN Doc CCPR/C/53/D/493/1992