on the equity principle and taking into account the expenses indicated by the parties, provided their quantum is reasonable.346 320. In addition, the Court reiterates that it is not sufficient merely to forward probative documents; rather the parties must include arguments that relate the evidence to the fact it is meant to represent and, in the case of alleged financial disbursements, the items and their justification must be clearly established.347 The Court has also indicated that “the claims of the victims or their representatives for costs and expenses, and the evidence that supports them, must be presented to the Court on the first procedural occasion granted to them; that is, in the pleadings and motions brief, without prejudice to such claims being updated subsequently in keeping with the new costs and expenses incurred owing to the proceedings before this Court.”348 321. With regard to the costs and expenses of VIDS and KLIM, the representatives argued that the activities carried out related to investigations into the ancestral lands of the Kaliña and Lokono peoples, the mapping of the area claimed, KLIM meetings, meetings with State authorities, preparation of land and resources management plans, visits of experts and Maroon authorities, the hiring of two employees for KLIM, the rent of an office and the purchase of the respective office supplies. However, the Court has verified that the vouchers provided do not prove that the amounts indicated were effectively disbursed, because most of them were issued by VIDS and KLIM themselves, without any substantiation by the person or entity that received the alleged payment. Also, the justifications indicated on those vouchers do not establish clearly the relationship between the presumed expenditure and the processing of the proceedings in the domestic or the international sphere. Furthermore, the amounts included on the list of expenses do not coincide with those requested by the representatives. In addition, the representatives did not provide any evidence with regard to the costs and expenses incurred by the Forest Peoples Programme. However, the Court finds it reasonable to suppose that these organizations incurred expenses based on their representation of the victims. 322. With regard to the expenses relating to the public hearing and the on-site procedure held in this case, which correspond to air fares, accommodation, food and internal transportation, the Court notes that the vouchers provided prove the expenses incurred by the representatives owing to those activities.349 323. Consequently, as reimbursement of costs and expenses for the work carried out in the litigation of the case in the domestic and international spheres, the Court finds it in order to grant the reasonable sum of US$15,000.00 (fifteen thousand United States dollars) to VIDS and KLIM, in conjunction, and the sum of US$10,000.00 (ten thousand United States dollars) to Forest Peoples Programme. In addition, the Court orders the State to pay the representatives the sum of US$18,141.65 (eighteen thousand one hundred and forty-one United State dollars and sixty-five cents) for the expenses incurred by the representatives during the public hearing and the on-site procedure held in this case. The amounts indicated must be paid by the State to the representatives within six months of notification of this Judgment. Lastly, the Court considers 346 Cf. Case of Garrido and Baigorria v. Argentina. Reparations and Costs. Judgment of August 27,1998. Series C No. 39, para. 82, and Case of the Garífuna Community of Punta Piedra and its members, supra, para. 361. 347 Cf. Case of Chaparro Álvarez and Lapo Íñiguez v. Ecuador. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgment of November 21, 2007. Series C No. 170, para. 277, and Case of the Garífuna Community of Punta Piedra and its members, supra, para. 362. 348 Case of Chaparro Álvarez and Lapo Íñiguez, supra, para. 275, and Case of the Garífuna Community of Punta Piedra and its members, supra, para. 362. 349 Cf. Annex A to the representatives’ final written arguments (merits file, folios 731 to 752), and Annex 9 to the representatives’ observations on the on-site procedure (evidence file, folios 2906 to 2917). 81

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