2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND THE CAUSE OF ACTION ..................................... 4 II. PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT ................................................................................... 5 III. JURISDICTION ............................................................................................................................. 6 IV. PRIOR CONSIDERATION OF THE DETERMINATION OF ALLEGED VICTIMS ... 6 A. B. ARGUMENTS OF THE COMMISSION AND OF THE PARTIES .................................................... 6 CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURT ............................................................................................. 7 V. EVIDENCE ......................................................................................................................................... 7 A. ADMISSIBILITY OF THE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE .............................................................. 7 B. ADMISSIBILITY OF THE TESTIMONIAL AND EXPERT EVIDENCE ............................................................. 9 VI. FACTS ............................................................................................................................................. 10 A. CONTEXT............................................................................................................................................... 10 A.1 The internal armed conflict and the violence against the Mayan people ............ 11 A.2. Displacement and repatriation of the persons affected by the conflict .............. 11 B. REGARDING THE “AURORA 8 DE OCTUBRE” COMMUNITY IN THE XAMÁN FINCA ............... 12 C. REGARDING THE EVENTS THE OCCURRED IN OCTOBER 1995 IN THE XAMÁN FINCA ..... 12 D. REGARDING THE ACTIONS TAKEN ........................................................................................... 14 VII. MERITS ........................................................................................................................................ 20 VII.1 RIGHTS TO JUDICIAL GUARANTEES AND TO JUDICIAL PROTECTION ...... 22 A. ARGUMENTS OF THE COMMISSION AND OF THE PARTIES .................................................. 22 B. CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURT ........................................................................................... 23 B.1. General considerations .......................................................................................................... 23 B.2. Military jurisdiction .................................................................................................................. 25 B.3. Investigation of the intellectual authors and the “chain of command”............... 26 B.4. Reduction of the sentences and the release of the convicted ................................ 26 B. 5. Regarding the fugitives from justice ............................................................................... 27 B.6. Length of the proceedings.................................................................................................... 28 B.7. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 29 VII.2 RIGHTS TO LIFE, TO PERSONAL INTEGRITY AND OF THE CHILD, READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OBLIGATION TO RESPECT THE RIGHTS WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION ............................................................................................................................ 29 A. ARGUMENTS OF THE COMMISSION AND OF THE PARTIES .................................................. 29 B. CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURT ........................................................................................... 30 B.1. General considerations .......................................................................................................... 31 B.2. Rights to life and to personal integrity ............................................................................ 32 B.3. Rights of the child ................................................................................................................... 33 B.4. Obligation to respect rights without discrimination .................................................... 33 B.5. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 34