Inter-American Court of Human Rights Case of Juan Humberto Sánchez v. Honduras Judgment of June 7, 2003 (Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs) In the Juan Humberto Sánchez case, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Inter-American Court” or “the Court”), composed of the following judges: * Antônio A. Cançado Trindade, President; Sergio García Ramírez, Vice-President; Máximo Pacheco Gómez, Judge; Hernán Salgado Pesantes, Judge; Oliver Jackman, Judge; and Alirio Abreu Burelli, Judge; also present, Manuel E. Ventura Robles, Secretary, and Pablo Saavedra Alessandri, Deputy Secretary; pursuant to Articles 29, 36, 55, 56 and 57 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court (hereinafter “the Rules of Procedure”), and to Article 63(1) of the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Convention” or “the American Convention”), issues the following Judgment on the instant case. I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE 1. On September 8, 2001, pursuant to the provisions of Articles 50 and 51 of the American Convention, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Commission” or “the Inter-American Commission”) filed before the Court an application against the Republic of Honduras (hereinafter “the State” or “Honduras”) originating in complaint No. 11.073, received at the Secretariat of the Commission on October 19, 1992. The Commission argued in its application that Juan Humberto Sánchez, the alleged victim, had twice been detained by the Honduran armed forces “for his alleged ties with the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) of El Salvador.” The first capture allegedly took place on July 10, 1992, and was carried out by members of the Tenth Infantry Battalion of Marcala, La Paz, under the command of second lieutenant Ángel Belisario Hernández González, and he * Judge de Roux Rengifo informed the Court that, due to force majeure, he would be unable to attend the LIX Regular Session of the Court, for which reason he did not participate in the deliberation, decision, and signing of the instant Judgment.