TABLE OF CONTENTS
I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND CAUSE OF ACTION ................................................................ 4
II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT ........................................................................................... 5
III JURISDICTION ......................................................................................................................... 7
IV .................................................................................................................................................. 7
PRELIMINARY OBJECTIONS ........................................................................................................... 7
A.
OF THE
LACK OF RATIONE TEMPORIS JURISDICTION WITH RESPECT TO EVENTS THAT OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE DATE OF RECOGNITION
COURT’S JURISDICTION ................................................................................................................... 7
A.1.
Arguments of the parties and the Commission........................................................................ 7
A.2. Considerations of the Court ..................................................................................................... 8
B.
PRELIMINARY OBJECTION REGARDING THE FAILURE TO EXHAUST DOMESTIC REMEDIES ............................................. 8
B.1. Arguments of the parties and the Commission ........................................................................... 8
B.2. Considerations of the Court ..................................................................................................... 9
C.
LACK
OF RATIONE MATERIAE JURISDICTION OVER THE VIOLATION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY
(FOURTH
INSTANCE
OBJECTION) ....................................................................................................................................... 10
C.1. Arguments of the parties and the Commission ......................................................................... 10
C.2. Considerations of the Court ................................................................................................... 10
V PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................. 10
VI EVIDENCE ............................................................................................................................... 11
A. ADMISSIBILITY OF THE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE ......................................................................................... 11
B. ADMISSIBILITY OF THE TESTIMONIAL AND EXPERT EVIDENCE ............................................................................ 12
VII FACTS .................................................................................................................................... 12
A. CONTEXT OF VIOLENCE AND IMPUNITY RELATED TO LAND STRUGGLES IN BRAZIL ...................................................... 12
B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ................................................................................................................ 15
B.1. GABRIEL SALES PIMENTA ............................................................................................................ 15
B.2. EVICTION OF RURAL WORKERS OF PAU SECO AND SUIT BROUGHT BY GABRIEL SALES PIMENTA ............................. 16
B.3. THREATS AGAINST RURAL WORKERS AND GABRIEL SALES PIMENTA ............................................................. 17
B.4. DEATH OF GABRIEL SALES PIMENTA AND POLICE INVESTIGATION ............................................................... 17
B.5. CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS THROUGH DECEMBER 10, 1998 ....................................................................... 18
C. INDEPENDENT EVENTS AFTER THE RECOGNITION OF THE COURT’S CONTENTIOUS JURISDICTION..................................... 19
C.1. INDEPENDENT EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CRIMINAL TRIAL AFTER DECEMBER 10, 1998 ........... 19
C.2. ADDITIONAL STEPS TAKEN BY THE FAMILY OF GABRIEL SALES PIMENTA ........................................................ 21
VIII MERITS ................................................................................................................................ 22
VIII-1 .......................................................................................................................................... 23
RIGHTS TO JUDICIAL GUARANTEES AND JUDICIAL PROTECTION, AS WELL AS THE RIGHT TO THE
TRUTH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OBLIGATION TO RESPECT AND ENSURE RIGHTS ............... 23
A. Arguments of the parties and of the Commission .................................................................... 23
B. Considerations of the Court ..................................................................................................... 25
b.1
b.2
b.3
b.4
Due diligence in the criminal trial............................................................................................. 27
Reasonable timeframe ........................................................................................................... 30
Right to the truth .................................................................................................................. 32
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 33
VIII-2 .......................................................................................................................................... 34
RIGHT TO PERSONAL INTEGRITY,................................................................................................ 34
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DUTY TO RESPECT AND ENSURE RIGHTS........................................ 34
A.
ARGUMENTS OF THE PARTIES AND OF THE COMMISSION ............................................................................. 34
B. CONSIDERATIONS OF THE COURT ........................................................................................................... 34
IX REPARATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 36
A.
B.
INJURED PARTY ........................................................................................................................... 37
OBLIGATION TO INVESTIGATE THE FACTS AND IDENTIFY, PROSECUTE, AND, AS APPROPRIATE, PUNISH THOSE RESPONSIBLE 37
2