ORDER OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF OCTOBER 28, 1996 PROVISIONAL MEASURES REQUESTED BY THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE MATTER OF COLOMBIA GIRALDO CARDONA CASE HAVING SEEN: 1. The October 18, 1996 brief, by which the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Commission” or the “Inter-American Commission”) submitted to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Court” or “the Inter-American Court”), a request for provisional measures on behalf of Sister Noemy Palencia, Islena Rey Rodríguez, Gonzalo Zárate, Mariela de Giraldo and her two young daughters, Sara and Natalia Giraldo, pursuant to Articles 63(2) of the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Convention” or “the American Convention”) and 24 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court (hereinafter “the Rules of Procedure”). 2. The above brief of the Commission in which it requested the Court to adopt the following provisional measures: 1. To take the measures of protection necessary to guarantee the life, physical integrity and personal security and to avoid irreparable damages on behalf of Sister Noemy Palencia, Islena Rey Rodríguez, Gonzalo Zárate, Mariela de Giraldo and her two young daughters, Sara and Natalia Giraldo, in strict compliance with the obligation to respect and guarantee the human rights that the Republic of Colombia has agreed to in accordance with Article 1(1) of the Convention. 2. To call upon the State of Colombia to adopt efficient measures to investigate the denounced events against the members the Meta Civic Committee of Human Rights in order to punish those responsible for these acts, particularly for the recent murder of the attorney, Josué Giraldo Cardona. 3. To call upon the State of Colombia to adopt the necessary measures to assure that the above-mentioned persons under constant threat can continue living in their habitual residence and return to their homes, providing them the assurance that they will not be persecuted or threatened by agents of the Government or civilians. 4. To call upon the State of Colombia to inform the Honorable Court, in as short a time as is possible, of the concrete and effective measures taken to protect the rest of the members of the Committee and the family members of Josué Giraldo Cardona. 5. To request a public hearing from the Court, so the Commission has the opportunity to declare, as soon as is possible, on the current situation in Villavicencio, in regards to the threats to the Civic Committee. 3. The events alleged by the Commission as grounds for this requests are summarized in the following manner: a) On April 5, 1995 a group of Colombian human rights non-governmental organizations,