CORTE INTERAMERICANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS COUR INTERAMERICAINE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME CORTE INTERAMERICANA DE DIREITOS HUMANOS INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IACHR_CP-04/11 ENGLISH PRESS RELEASE (*) San Jose, Costa Rica, May 26, 2011.- The Inter-American Court of Human Rights held its 43rd Special Period of Sessions in Panama City, Panama, from May 15 to 21, 2011. During the sessions, three judgments were handed down, as were 10 orders on provisional measures and monitoring of compliance with judgment. In addition, three public hearings were held on adversarial cases, which are available in video following the next link: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/panama/multimedia.html. 1. Judgments.The Court deliberated and handed down judgments in the following three cases: Vera Vera et al. v. Ecuador, preliminary objections, merits, reparations and costs; Fernández Ortega v. Mexico, interpretation of Judgment on the preliminary objections, merits, reparations and costs dated August 30, 2010; and Rosendo Cantú et al. v. Mexico, interpretation of Judgment on the preliminary objections, merits, reparations and costs dated August 31, 2010. 2. Public hearings on adversarial cases.a. Grande v. Argentina. On May 16, 2011, the Court heard the testimony of Jorge Fernando Grande, alleged victim, as well as the arguments and final oral comments of the representative, the Republic of Argentina, and the Inter-American Commission. The alleged victim was represented by Pedro Patiño-Mayer Alurralde; the State by Alberto Javier Salgado, Julia Loreto, Pilar Mayoral and Ramiro Badía; and the InterAmerican Commission by commissioner Luz Patricia Mejía, along with Karla Quintana Osuna and Silvia Serrano Guzmán. Due to his nationality, Judge Leonardo A. Franco did not participate in this matter. b. Contreras et al. v. El Salvador. On May 17, 2011, the Court heard the testimony of Gregoria Herminia Contreras, alleged victim, and of María Sol Yáñez de la Cruz and Ricardo Alberto Iglesias Herrera, expert witnesses proposed by the representatives of the alleged victims. In addition, the Court heard the testimony and final oral comments of the representatives of the alleged victims, the Republic of El Salvador and the Inter-American Commission. The alleged victim was represented by María Ester Alvarenga Chinchilla, Elsy Lourdes Flores Sosa, Gisela Leticia De León De Sedas and Luis Carlos Buob Concha; the State by Arnoldo Bernal Chévez, David This press release’s content is the responsibility of the Secretariat of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The official text of the documents summarized can be obtained via written request to the Office of the Secretariat, sent to the address indicated below. (*) Ernesto Morales Cruz, Matilde Guadalupe Hernández de Espinoza and Gloria Evelyn Martínez Ramos; and the Inter-American Commission by Luz Patricia Mejía, Silvia Serrano Guzmán and Karla Quintana Osuna. c. Torres et al. v. Argentina. On May 18, 2011, the Court heard the testimony of María Leontina Millacura Llaipén, alleged victim, Nora Cortiñas, expert witness proposed by the representatives of the alleged victims, and Sofía Tiscornia, expert witness put forward ex officio by the Tribunal. In addition, the Court heard the testimony and final oral comments of the representatives, the Argentine Republic and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The alleged victim was represented by Verónica Heredia; the State by Alberto Javier Salgado, Julia Loreto, Pilar Mayoral y Ramiro Badía; and the Inter-American Commission by commissioner Luz Patricia Mejía, along with Karla Quintana Osuna and Silvia Serrano Guzmán. Due to his nationality, Judge Leonardo A. Franco did not participate in this matter. 3. Academic activities.On May 19, 2011, at 9:00 am, the international seminar entitled “The Inter-American Court of Human Rights and its Case Law” was held at the Atlapa Convention Center and given by attorneys of the Inter-American Court. The first panel addressed international State responsibility and the inter-American system; the second panel looked at the latest developments in the Inter-American Court’s case law. ----During this period of sessions, the Court was composed as follows: Diego García-Sayán (Peru), President; Leonardo A. Franco (Argentina), Vice President; Manuel E. Ventura Robles (Costa Rica); Margarette May Macaulay (Jamaica); Rhadys Abreu Blondet (Dominican Republic); Alberto Pérez Pérez (Uruguay); Eduardo Vio Grossi (Chile). For more information, please see the Court’s web site www.corteidh.or.cr or send an e-mail to Pablo Saavedra, Secretary of the Court, to [email protected]. 2