INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS CASE OF PALMA MENDOZA ET AL. V. ECUADOR JUDGMENT OF SEPTEMBER 3, 2012 PRELIMINARY OBJECTION AND MERITS In the case of Palma Mendoza et al, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter, “the Inter-American Court” or “the Court”) composed of the following judges:* Diego García-Sayán, President Manuel E. Ventura Robles, Vice-President Leonardo A. Franco, Judge Rhadys Abreu Blondet, Judge Alberto Pérez Pérez, Judge, and Eduardo Vio Grossi, Judge, also present, Pablo Saavedra Alessandri, Secretary, and Emilia Segares Rodríguez, Deputy Secretary, pursuant to Articles 62(3) of the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter also “the American Convention” or “the Convention”) and Articles 31, 32, 42, 65, and 67 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court (hereinafter “the Rules of Procedure”), delivers this Judgment, structured as follows: * Judge Margarette May Macaulay advised the Court that, for reasons beyond her control, she would be unable to attend the deliberation and signature of this Judgment. The Court’s Rules of Procedure approved by the Court at its eighty-fifth regular session held from November 16 to 28, 2009.