that the Court order the State to comply with the reparations included in said Report, which are detailed in Chapter VII of this Judgment. II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT 5. Notification to the State and the representative. - The submission of the case was notified to the State2 and the representatives of the alleged victim3 on April 12, 2021. 6. Brief with pleadings, motions and evidence. - The representatives of the alleged victim (hereinafter, "the Representatives") filed the brief with pleadings, motions, and evidence (hereinafter, "pleadings and motions brief") on June 13, 2021. Effectively, this concurred with the contents of the Merits Report and requested reparations complementary to those requested by the Commission. In addition, the alleged victim requested, through his representation, to avail himself of the Victims' Legal Assistance Fund of the Inter-American Court (hereinafter "the Victims' Legal Assistance Fund" or "the Fund"). 7. Answering brief. - The State filed its Answering Brief to the Commission's submission and Merits Report and pleadings and motions brief (hereinafter "answering brief") on September 29, 2021. In said brief, the State requested that "a complete dismissal be ordered with respect to the alleged violations of Articles 8, 9, 13, 23 and 25 of the American Convention in relation to Articles 1 and 2 of the same text in this case" and that all of the claims and reparations requested in the case be rejected. 8. Legal Assistance Fund. - By Note of the Clerk of the Court dated March 7, 2022, the alleged victim's request to avail himself of the Victims' Legal Assistance Fund was declared admissible. 9. Public Hearing. - By Order of March 29, 2022, the Presidency of the Court summoned the parties and the Commission to a public hearing on the merits and possible reparations and costs in this case.4 The public hearing was held on May 9 and 10, 2022, within the framework of the 148th Regular Session, held in San José, Costa Rica.5 During the hearing, statements were received from three witnesses offered by the representative and an expert witness offered by the State, and the Judges of the Court requested certain information and explanations from the parties and the Commission. 2 As Main Prosecutor, State appointed Juan Rafael Caballero González, Prosecutor General of the Republic, and Roberto Benítez Fernández, then General Director of Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Alternate Prosecutor. Subsequently, the Alternate Prosecutor was replaced by appointing Jorge Brizuela, Director General of Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 3 The alleged victim is represented in the proceedings before the Court by attorney Jacinto Santa María. Cf. Case of Nissen Pessolani v. Paraguay. Resolution of the President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. March 29, 2022. Available at https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/asuntos/nissen_pessolani_29_03_22.pdf. On April 28, 2022, the Court declared the appeal for reconsideration filed by the State against the Presidential Resolution of March 29, 2022, at to be inadmissible. Available https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/asuntos/nissen_pessolani_28_04_22.pdf. 4 The following parties appeared at the hearing: (a) for the Inter American Commission: Carlos Bernal Pulido, Commissioner, and Carla Leiva, counsel; (b) for the representation of the alleged victim, Alejandro Nissen Pessolani and Jacinto Santa María; and (c) for the State of Paraguay: Miguel Ángel Villalba Rodríguez, Andrea María Arriola Ortega, Jorge Brizuela, José Félix Estigarribia, Raquel Cáceres Noguera, Rodolfo Barrios Duba, Belén Diana Franco, Mario Fabián Silva, and Sergio Benítez. 5 4