44 112(37) José Cláudio Aguiar, Maria Gorete-Silva and Maria Verónica MirandaBecerra testified on December 3 and 16, 2004.73 112(38) After the opening of the hearing held on September 9, 2004, scheduled for the purpose of examining the new defendants, the Judge of the Tercera Sala del Juzgado de Sobral (Third Chamber of the Trial Court in and for Sobral) pointed out that “the complexity of the facts, the number of defendants in the case and, above all, the successive statements made by human rights organizations have delayed the resolution of the case.” In addition, the judge stated that the “proceedings necessary for the proper processing of the case have not been duly carried out,” and that the absence of attorneys to represent three of the defendants made it impossible to conduct the interrogatory; therefore, the judge scheduled the hearing for October 19, 2004 and reiterated the requirement that the civil complainant in the criminal action and the defense attorneys for the original defendants file their closing arguments.74 112(39) During the same hearing, the defense counsel for Mr. Sérgio AntunesFerreira-Gomes, accused in the original accusation, filed a motion to stay [the requirement of] filing the closing arguments,” arguing that the introduction of new evidence, as a necessary consequence of the existence of new defendants, could benefit or harm the original defendants, and that the completion of their trial before the conclusion of the investigation proceedings against those who were subsequently accused might lead to a discrepancy between the first and second decisions to be rendered by the Court. Based on such request, the Judge ordered that, after the hearing scheduled for October 19, 2004, the records of the case be transmitted to him for decision on the motion.75 112(40) The interrogatory of defendants Francisco Ivo de Vasconcelos and Elias Gomes-Coimbra was conducted on October 19, 2004.76 112(41) The hearing scheduled for January 26, 2005 to hear witness Francisco das Chagas-Melo’s testimony was postponed to March 2, 2005 based on lack of notice to defendant Carlos Alberto Rodrigues-dos Santos.77 the answer to the application, appendix I, volume II, pages 2277 and 2278); and preliminary objections filed by Francisco Ivo de Vasconcelos with the Tercera Sala del Juzgado de Sobral (Third Chamber of the Trial Court in and for Sobral) on October 10, 2004 (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix I, volume II, pages 2272 to 2275). 73 Cf. statements made by José Cláudio Aguiar and Maria Gorete-Silva before the Tercera Sala del Juzgado de Sobral (Third Chamber of the Trial Court in and for Sobral) on December 3, 2004 (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix I, volume II, pages 2283 to 2288); and statement made by Maria Verónica Miranda-Bezerra before the Tercera Sala del Juzgado de Sobral (Third Chamber of the Trial Court in and for Sobral) on December 16, 2004 (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix I, volume II, pages 2296 to 2300). 74 Cf. record of the hearing held at the Tercera Sala del Juzgado de Sobral (Third Chamber of the Trial Court in and for Sobral) on September 9, 2004 (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix I, volume II, pages 2254 and 2255). 75 Cf. record of the hearing held at the Tercera Sala del Juzgado de Sobral (Third Chamber of the Trial Court in and for Sobral) on September 9, 2004, supra note 74. 76 Cf. statements made by Francisco Ivo de Vasconcelos and Elias Gomes-Coimbra before the Tercera Sala del Juzgado de Sobral (Third Chamber of the Trial Court in and for Sobral) on October 19, 2004 (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix I, volume II, pages 2260 and 2268). 77 Cf. record of the hearing held at the Juzgado de Ipueiras (Trial Court in and for Ipueiras) on January 26, 2005 (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix I, volume II, page