human rights violations described in the Merits Report to the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court, “owing to the need to obtain justice and reparation.” 3 4. Requests of the Inter-American Commission. Based on the foregoing, the Commission asked the Court to declare the international responsibility of the State for the violations set forth in its Report on the Merits (supra footnote 2). In addition, the Commission asked the Court to order the State to adopt certain measures of reparation, which are described and analyzed in Chapter IX of this judgment. This Court notes with concern that more than eight years have elapsed between the presentation of the initial petition before the Commission and the submission of this case to the Court. II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT 5. Notification to the State and the representatives. The representatives of the alleged victim 4 (hereinafter “the representatives”) and the State were notified by the Court of the submission of the case by the Commission on September 27, 2019. 6. Brief with pleadings, motions and evidence. On December 3, 2019, the representatives submitted their brief of requests, arguments and evidence (hereinafter “brief of requests and arguments”) to the Court. The representatives agreed substantially with the Commission’s arguments and asked the Court to declare the international responsibility of the State for the violation of the same articles alleged by the Commission—with the exception of Article 4 of the American Convention—and, in addition, asked the Court to declare a violation of Articles 15, 16, and 23(1) of the American Convention to the detriment of Ms. Bedoya. Furthermore, on behalf of the alleged victims, the representatives requested access to the Victims’ Legal Assistance Fund of the InterAmerican Court (hereinafter “the Court’s Assistance Fund” or the “Fund”). 7. Answering brief. On March 16, 2020, the State submitted to the Court its brief answering the submission of the case in the Inter-American Commission’s Merits Report, and the representatives’ brief with pleadings, motions and evidence (hereinafter “answering brief”). In this brief, the State disputed the violations alleged by the Commission and rejected its proposed measures of reparation. 8. Public hearing. In an Order of February 12, 2021, 5 the President summoned the State, the representatives, and the Inter-American Commission to a public hearing to receive their final oral arguments and observations on the merits and eventual reparations and costs, and receive the statements of alleged victim Ms. Bedoya Lima, one witness, and two expert witnesses offered by the representatives, as well as an expert witness proposed by the State. The public hearing was held on March 15, 22, and 23, 2020, during the 140th regular sessions of the Court, via video conference. 6 3 As its delegates before the Court, the Commission chose Commissioner Francisco Eguiguren Praeli, the Executive Secretary at the time, Paulo Abrão, and the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression at the time, Edison Lanza. It also designated Silvia Serrano Guzmán (then a lawyer for the Executive Secretariat) and Cecilia La Hoz Barrera (a lawyer for the Executive Secretariat) as legal advisors. The Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP) and the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) represented the alleged victims in the case before the Court. 4 Cf. Case of Bedoya Lima et al. v. Colombia. Call to hearing. Order of the President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights of February 12, 2021. Available at: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/asuntos/bedoya_lima_y_otra_12_02_21.pdf. 5 6 This hearing was attended by: a) on behalf of the Inter-American Commission: Antonia Urrejola Noguera, Marisol Blanchard, Jorge Meza Flores and Cecilia La Hoz; b) on behalf of the representatives: Jonathan Bock, Raissa Carrillo Villamizar and Ángela Caro Montenegro (FLIP), and Viviana Krsticevic, Gisela De León and Jessica Ramírez (CEJIL), and c) on behalf of the State of Colombia: Camilo Gómez Alzate, María Angélica Velandia Rivero, María del Pilar Gutiérrez Perilla, Susana Arango 5