-2TABLE OF CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE ........................................................4 II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT ..................................................................................................5 III JURISDICTION..................................................................................................................................7 IV PRELIMINARY OBJECTION ................................................................................................................7 A. Arguments of the State and observations of the representatives and the Commission ......................... 7 B. Considerations of the Court ...................................................................................................... 8 V EVIDENCE ......................................................................................................................................... 11 A. Documentary, testimonial and expert evidence .............................................................................11 B. Admission of the evidence ........................................................................................................11 B.1) Admission of the documentary evidence ................................................................................11 B.2) Admission of the testimonial and expert evidence ...................................................................13 C. Assessment of the evidence ......................................................................................................13 VI PROVEN FACTS ............................................................................................................................... 14 A. Context .................................................................................................................................14 A.1) The coup d’état in Honduras ................................................................................................15 A.2) The international reaction to the coup d’état and the actions taken by the OAS .......................17 A.3) The position of the Supreme Court of Justice ..........................................................................20 A.4) The Association of Judges for Democracy (AJD) ......................................................................22 B) Legal framework ....................................................................................................................22 B.1) Rights and duties of judges and incompatibilities with the office ............................................23 B.2) Competent organs and disciplinary proceedings against judges in Honduras ............................26 B.3) The proceeding for removing judges in Honduras .................................................................27 C. The disciplinary proceedings against the presumed victims .............................................................28 C.1) Adán Guillermo López Lone .................................................................................................28 C.2) Tirza del Carmen Flores Lanza .............................................................................................34 C.3) Luis Alonso Chévez de la Rocha ...........................................................................................39 C.4) Ramón Enrique Barrios Maldonado .......................................................................................44 VII MERITS .......................................................................................................................................... 48 VII-1 POLITICAL RIGHTS, FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, THE RIGHT OF ASSEMBLY AND FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION, IN RELATION TO THE OBLIGATION TO RESPECT AND ENSURE RIGHTS AND THE OBLIGATION TO ADOPT DOMESTIC LEGAL PROVISIONS .................................................................. 51 A. Arguments of the Commission and of the parties ..........................................................................52 B. Considerations of the Court .......................................................................................................53 B.1) Adán Guillermo López Lone .................................................................................................58 B.2) Luis Alonso Chévez de la Rocha ...........................................................................................59 B.3) Tirza del Carmen Flores Lanza .............................................................................................59 B.4) Ramón Enrique Barrios Maldonado .......................................................................................60 C. Freedom of association and alleged indirect violation of freedom of expression .................................61 VII-2 JUDICIAL GUARANTEES, JUDICIAL PROTECTION AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, IN RELATION TO THE OBLIGATION TO RESPECT AND ENSURE RIGHTS AND THE OBLIGATION TO ADOPT DOMESTIC LEGAL PROVISIONS ............................................................................................................................ 62