Table of Contents I INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE .............................. 4 II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT .................................................................. 5 III JURISDICTION ............................................................................................... 8 IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY ........................................................ 8 A. Partial acknowledgment of responsibility of the State and observations of the representatives and the Commission.................................................................................................................................... 8 B. Considerations of the Court .................................................................................................. 11 B.1 Regarding the facts............................................................................................................... 11 B.2 Regarding the legal claims ..................................................................................................... 11 B.3 Regarding reparations ........................................................................................................... 12 B.4 Assessment of acknowledgement ........................................................................................... 12 V EVIDENCE..................................................................................................... 13 A. Admission of documentary evidence ...................................................................................... 13 B. Admission of expert statements and evidence ......................................................................... 16 VI FACTS ......................................................................................................... 16 A. Context.............................................................................................................................. 16 B. On Emilio Palacio Urrutia, Nicolás Pérez Lapentti, César Enrique Pérez Barriga, and Carlos Eduardo Pérez Barriga ............................................................................................................................... 19 C. The article “NO to lies” ......................................................................................................... 20 D. The legal proceedings for “serious slanderous insult against authority” ...................................... 22 D.1. The judgment of first instance .............................................................................................. 24 D.2. Remedies of nullity and appeal.............................................................................................. 25 D.3. Cassation appeal ................................................................................................................. 27 D.4. Factual Remedy filed by Emilio Palacio Urrutia ........................................................................ 28 D.5. Correa’s pardon ................................................................................................................. 28 B. Additional facts related to the case ........................................................................................ 28 VII MERITS ...................................................................................................... 30 VII-I RIGHTS TO FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION, THE PRINCIPLE OF LEGALITY AND NON-RETROSPECTIVITY, TO PERSONAL FREEDOM, TO PROPERTY, TO WORK, TO MOVEMENT AND RESIDENCE, IN RELATION TO THE REQUIREMENT TO RESPECT AND GUARANTEE RIGHTS AND ADOPT DOMESTIC LEGISLATION PROVISIONS .................................................................................................... 30 A. Right to freedom of thought and expression and the principle of legality .................................... 31 A.1. Arguments of the Commission and the parties ........................................................................ 31 A.2. Considerations of the Court .................................................................................................. 31 B. Right to personal freedom .................................................................................................... 43 B.1. Arguments of the Commission and the parties ........................................................................ 43 B.2. Considerations of the Court .................................................................................................. 43 C. Right to property................................................................................................................. 45 C.1. Arguments of the Commission and of the parties ..................................................................... 45 C.2. Considerations of the Court .................................................................................................. 45 D. Right to movement and residence ......................................................................................... 47 D.1. Arguments of the Commission and the parties ........................................................................ 47 D.2. Consideraciones de la Corte .................................................................................................. 48 E. Right to work ...................................................................................................................... 49 2