America and eighty cents), for expenses incurred by the representatives to attend the
public hearing, to which supporting documentation is attached.
127. The Court has indicated that “the claims of the victims or their representatives
concerning costs and expenses, and the evidence to support them, must be submitted
to the Court at the first procedural occasion granted to them, namely, in the brief of
pleadings and motions, notwithstanding the possibility that these claims may be
updated subsequently, in keeping with the new costs and expenses that may have
been incurred as a result of the proceedings before this Court.” 80 Regarding
reimbursement of costs and expenses, the Court must prudently assess the costs,
which amounts to the total incurred before domestic authorities, as well as those
before the Inter-American System, in consideration of the circumstances of the specific
case and the nature of the international jurisdiction for the protection of human rights.
This assessment can be made based on the principle of equity and taking into account
the expenses indicated by the parties, provided that the quantum is reasonable. 81
128. The Court notes that the representatives did not submit any evidence of the
amount that the victims had paid their lawyers in the domestic proceedings or in
relation to their participation at the public hearing before this Court. However, the
Court may infer that the alleged victims have incurred those costs and, therefore,
decides, in equity, for each of them, the sum of U.S.$ 5,000.00 (five thousand dollars
of the United States of America) for expenses related to the domestic proceeding and
U.S.$2,000.00 (two thousand dollars of the United States of America) for expenses
related to their participation in the public hearing.
129. Regarding the request for reimbursement of the expenses listed by the Center
for Legal and Social Studies in its capacity as representative in the proceedings before
the Inter-American System of Human Rights, the Court orders that the State must pay
for costs and expenses the sum of U.S. $7,770.00 (seven thousand, seven hundred
and seventy dollars of the United States of America).
130. Lastly, the Court finds that the State shall provide the amounts indicated in the
preceding paragraphs to the victims (supra para. 128) and their representatives (supra
para. 129). The Court also stated that in the process of monitoring compliance with
this Judgment, it may provide for the reimbursement to the victim or their
representatives, by the State for the reasonable expenses incurred in this stage of the
proceedings.
E. Method of compliance with payments ordered
131. The State must make the payment for costs and expenses as well as for
compensation of the amounts accumulated as a consequence of the domestic
judgment pursuant to that noted (supra 128, 129, and 105), within the period of six
months and a year, respectively, as of legal notice of the Judgment, under the terms of
the following paragraphs.
80
Cf. Case of Chaparro Álvarez and Lapo Íñiguez. V. Ecuador. Preliminary Objection, Merits,
Reparations and Costs. Judgment of November 21, 2007. Serie C No. 170, para. 275, and Case of Barbani
Duarte et al. V. Uruguay, supra note 8, para. 270.
81
Cf. Case of Garrido and Baigorria, supra note 79, para. 82, and Case of Barbani Duarte et al. V.
Uruguay, supra note 8, para. 270.
37
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