5 17. On August 16, 2005 the Inter-American Commission and the representatives forwarded, respectively, their observations to the assent made by the State in its brief of response to the petition. 18. On October 4, 2005 the Secretariat informed the parties of the Court’s decision not to summon a public hearing in the present case. Instead, the Secretariat, following the President’s instructions, requested that the list of witnesses and experts proposed by the parties be forwarded to it so that the President could evaluate the relevance of ordering that they offer a sworn statement before a notary public (affidavit). 19. On November 8, 2005 the representatives and the Commission presented their observations to the definitive list of expert witnesses proposed by the State. In its observations, the Commission and the representatives referred to Messrs. Ramón Antonio Romero Cantanero and Ricardo Rolando Díaz Martínez, and the representatives also mentioned Mrs. Nora Suyapa Urbina Pineda, indicating that these persons could have participated in the processing of the case in the domestic jurisdiction, reason for which they could be included in any of the causes described in Article 50 of the Rules of Procedure in relation to Article 19(1) of the Statutes. On November 9, 2005, the Secretariat, following the President’s instructions, requested Messrs. Romero Cantanero and Díaz Martínez and Mrs. Urbina Pineda to refer to, no later than November 13, 2005, through the State, the observations made by the Commission and the representatives. On November 16 and 21, 2005, the Secretariat reiterated to the State that the persons mentioned should forward through them their observations to that stated by the Commission and the representatives. The persons stated did not present the observations mentioned. 20. On November 24, 2005 the Court issued a Ruling, through which it requested that Mr. Leo Valladares Lanza, proposed as an expert witness by the Inter-American Commission; Mrs. Reina Auxiliadora Rivera Joya and Mr. Carlos Tiffer Sotomayor, proposed as expert witnesses by the representatives, and Mrs. Lolis María Salas Montes and Nora Suyapa Urbina Pineda and Messrs. Ramón Antonio Romero Cantarero and Ricardo Rolando Díaz Martínez, proposed as expert witnesses by the State, present their expert opinion through a statement given before a notary public (affidavit). These expert opinions should be presented no later than December 19, 2005. Besides, in the mentioned Ruling the Tribunal informed the parties that they had time until January 23, 2006 to present their final written arguments in relation to the merits and the possible reparations and costs. 21. On December 19, 2005 the representatives presented the authenticated expert opinions of Mrs. Reina Auxiliadora Rivera Joya and Mr. Carlos Tiffer Sotomayor. 22. On December 19, 2005 the Commission presented the authenticated expert opinion of Mr. Leo Valladares Lanza, and the appendixes enclosed in it. 23. On December 20 and 22, 2005 the State presented the expert opinions given before notary public by Mrs. Lolis María Salas Montes and Messrs. Ricardo Rolando Díaz Martínez and Ramón Antonio Romero Cantarero. On January 16, 2006 the State, after an extension granted until January 5, 2006, presented the time-barred expert opinion of Mrs. Nora Suyapa Urbina Pineda.