3
precautionary measures to be adopted. The State described some measures implemented to
comply with the decisions of the President in his Order of July 22, 1997, particularly a
meeting with ASFADDES on July 30, 1997, to discuss implementation of the President's
decisions. The State said that the members of ASFADDES had read out a series of proposals
at that meeting, and that it disagreed with some of them.
8.
The brief from the Inter-American Commission of August 12, 1997, in which it
requested that the Urgent Measures adopted by the President be expanded to include Mr.
Javier Álvarez, a member of ASFADDES, General Coordinator of the "Casa de Niños"
Children's Center and brother of Mr. José Daniel Álvarez Ruiz, General Coordinator of the
Association. According to the Commission, Mr. Javier Álvarez had received a number of
threats which revealed the existence of "a situation of extreme gravity and urgency,
requiring the adoption of provisional measures." Specifically, in June 1997, he was warned
to be careful since he greatly resembled the President [sic] of ASFADDES and on August 2,
1997, three men on scooters asked his neighbors where he was and remained watching his
home. Those persons left a threatening letter at his house addressed to "Mr. Javier Álvarez
(President [sic] ASFADDES)" in which, in brief, they informed him that he was under
surveillance and that he was given 24 hours to leave, with "[his] group", the area where he
lived. The Commission attached a copy of the letter to its request.
9.
The Order of the President of the Court of August 14, 1997, in which he decided:
1.
To request that the State of Colombia expand the urgent measures adopted in this case
for the purpose of guaranteeing the right to life and physical integrity of Mr. Javier Álvarez.
2.
To request that the State of Colombia investigate the facts denounced by the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights and punish those responsible.
3.
To submit this order for the consideration of the Court during its next session for the
pertinent effects.
4.
To submit the first report of the State and the Commission's briefs from the Commission
of July 7, 1997, and August 12, 1997, for the consideration of the Court at its next session for the
pertinent effects.
5.
To request the State of Colombia to include the provisional measures taken pursuant to
this Order in the reports it will submit every two months in accordance with the order of July 22,
1997, to bring them to the attention of the Court.
10.
The brief of September 7, 1997, and its attachments from the Inter-American
Commission, through which it submitted to the Court its comments on the first report of the
State. In that brief, the Commission stated that several members of the Association had
been subjected to further acts of harassment, particularly at its offices in the municipalities
of Ocaña and Riosucio, which have been closed as a result. The Commission further
indicated its disagreement with the State regarding the protection offered to the members
of ASFADDES during the processing of the precautionary measures before the Commission,
and the situation of risk in which those persons currently found themselves. The
Commission explained in detail its position on the matter and the reasons on which that
position is based.
11.
The Order of the President of the Court of September 25, 1997, through which he
convened the Commission and the State to a public hearing on November 8, 1997, to
present their arguments on the provisional measures requested in the instant Case.
12.
The second report from the State of October 14, 1997, in which it reported that it
"ha[d] been working on ... developing the individual, preventive and office protection