CONTENTS
I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE CONTROVERSY ................................................... 3
II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT ..................................................................................................... 4
III JURISDICTION................................................................................................................................... 5
IV RECOGNITION OF INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY ........................................................................ 5
A. Recognition of responsibility by the State and observations of the Commission and the
representative..................................................................................................................................... 5
B. Considerations of the Court ............................................................................................................ 6
B.1 Regarding the facts ...................................................................................................................... 6
B.2 Regarding the legal claims............................................................................................................. 6
B.3 Regarding reparations................................................................................................................... 7
B.4 Evaluation of the scope of the recognition of responsibility ................................................................ 7
V PRELIMINARY QUESTION: DETERMINATION OF THE VICTIMS ............................................................. 8
VI EVIDENCE ........................................................................................................................................... 9
A. Documentary, testimonial and expert evidence .............................................................................. 9
B. Admissibility of testimonial and expert evidence .......................................................................... 10
VII FACTS.............................................................................................................................................. 10
A. Context of forced disappearances in Ecuador................................................................................ 10
B. Forced disappearance of César Gustavo Garzón Guzmán .............................................................. 12
B.1 Regarding the detention in 1989 .................................................................................................. 12
B.2 Regarding the facts around the disappearance of Mr. Garzón Guzmán .............................................. 12
C. Internal procedures ...................................................................................................................... 14
C.1 First information report ............................................................................................................... 14
C.2 Second information report ........................................................................................................... 14
C.3 Third information report .............................................................................................................. 15
C.4 Judicial investigations ................................................................................................................. 15
VIII MERITS .......................................................................................................................................... 15
VIII-1 RIGHTS TO THE RECOGNITION OF JURIDICAL PERSONALITY, PERSONAL FREEDOM, PERSONAL
INTEGRITY AND LIFE, IN RELATION TO THE OBLIGATION TO RESPECT THE RIGHTS AND THE
MANDATES OF ARTICLE I(A) OF THE INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION ON FORCED DISAPPEARANCE OF
PERSONS ............................................................................................................................................... 16
A. Considerations of the Court .......................................................................................................... 16
VIII-2 Rights to judicial guarantees and to judicial protection, in relation to the obligations to respect
and guarantee the right, the duty to adopt provisionS of domestic law and the mandates of Article i(b)
of the Inter-american convention on forced disappearance of persons ................................................. 17
A. Arguments of the representative of the victims ............................................................................ 17
B. Considerations of the Court .......................................................................................................... 17
B.1 Duty to undertake de oficio and conduct the investigations with due diligence ................................... 18
B.2 Omission of the duty of due diligence in the search for Mr. Garzón Guzmán and the alleged violation of
the duty to adopt provisions of domestic law ....................................................................................... 19
B.3 Guarantee of a reasonable time and the right to know the truth ....................................................... 21
C. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 22
VIII-3 RIGHT TO PERSONAL INTEGRITY OF THE NEXT OF KIN OF MR. GARZÓN GUZMÁN, IN RELATION
TO THE OBLIGATION TO RESPECT AND ENSURE THE RIGHTS ............................................................... 22
A. Considerations of the Court .......................................................................................................... 22
IX REPARATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 23
A. Injured parties.............................................................................................................................. 24
B. Obligation to investigate the facts and identify, prosecute and, if applicable, punish those
responsible, as well as to determine the whereabouts of the victim ................................................. 24
B.1 Investigation, determination, prosecution and, if applicable, punishment of all those responsible ......... 24
B.2 Determination of the whereabouts of the victim ............................................................................. 26
C. Measures of rehabilitation ............................................................................................................ 26
D. Measures of satisfaction ............................................................................................................... 27
D.1 Publication and dissemination of this Judgment ............................................................................. 27
D.2 Public act of recognition of responsibility ....................................................................................... 28
E. Other measures requested............................................................................................................ 28
F. Compensation ............................................................................................................................... 29
F.1 Pecuniary damages ..................................................................................................................... 29
F.2 Non-pecuniary damages .............................................................................................................. 30
G. Costs and expenses ...................................................................................................................... 31
H. Method of compliance with the payments ordered ........................................................................ 31
X OPERATIVE PARAGRAPHS .................................................................................................................. 32
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