112 subjects of International Human Rights Law. It is understood that the above, pertaining to other rights, adheres to the facts already contained in the application.269 225. On the other hand, this Court has stated, in previous cases, that the next of kin of the victims of violations of human rights may, in turn, be victims.270 In the Villagrán Morales case, State authorities impeded elucidation of the facts pertaining to the case, which intensified the suffering of the next of kin. In face of said circumstances, the Court described the impact on the next of kin as “the feeling of insecurity and impotence caused to the next of kin by the failure of the public authorities to fully investigate the corresponding crimes and punish those responsible.”271 226. In the instant case, the Court also takes into account the situation faced by the next of kin of Myrna Mack Chang as a consequence of the threats, following, harassment, and intimidation that they have suffered, as methods to stop them from continuing their efforts to attain justice with the aim of punishing all those responsible for the execution of Myrna Mack Chang (supra paras. 127.c and 127.d). 227. Specifically, on June 7, 2002, Helen Mack Chang, sister of the victim and President of the Myrna Mack Foundation, received a death threat issued by a group calling itself ‘Guatemaltecos de verdad’. Due to said threat, as well as information on an operation that was being prepared to attempt against her life, Helen Mack Chang had to leave Guatemala for some time. Furthermore, on July 25, 2002, unknown persons attempted to enter her home without identifying themselves. 228. In view of the facts described above, on August 9, 2002, the Inter-American Commission submitted to this Court a request for provisional measures in favor of Helen Mack Chang and other members of the Myrna Mack Foundation. On August 26 of that same year, the Court decided to adopt the provisional measures and ordered the State to adopt, forthwith, such measures as might be necessary to protect the life and safety of Helen Mack Chang and other members of the Myrna Mack Foundation (supra para. 60). 229. During the public hearing held in the instant case before the Court, Lucrecia Hernández Mack (supra para. 127.c) also stated that: […] being precisely in a state of insecurity affects us emotionally because we have not been able to close any circle of grieving as a family. […] No one in our family is willing to show vulnerability or weakness due to the situation of insecurity in which we live. […] And on the other hand, we can say that we are all constantly trying to adopt security measures. […] Even the dynamics among us, if something bad happens to one of us, we do not tell each other so that the others do not worry. […] I would just like to mention in my grandmother’s case and, well, I also include myself, the possibility of something happening sometime to my aunt Helen is something that causes us incredible anguish. It is an overly heavy emotional burden to think that I can lose a second mother or that my grandmother can lose a second daughter. 230. Likewise, during the public hearing at the seat of the Court (supra para. 127.d), Helen Mack Chang stated that: 269 “Five Pensioners” Case, supra note 9, paras. 153, 154 and 155. 270 Cf. Juan Humberto Sánchez Case, supra note 9, para. 101; Bámaca Velásquez Case, supra note 250, para. 160; and “Street Children” Case (Villagrán Morales et al.), supra note 8, para. 176. 271 Cf. “Street Children” Case (Villagrán Morales et al.), supra note 8, para. 173.

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