vii. On February 4, 1999, the Office of the Public Prosecutor also attested that on February 1 and 3, he travelled to the municipality of Sabanilla, and together with the Commander of the El Paraíso and Moyos Police Station and dozens of public security officers, in the company of the Commanders of Public Security of Yajalón and Sabanilla, agents under their command, Chiapas, carried out a search for the disappeared person throughout the vicinity of the river and locations in close proximity to the municipal cemetery, but they were unable to find him. Additionally, they investigated the cooperative store where he worked and concluded, based on information provided by the Commander of Public Security of the Sabanilla police station, that it [the store] belonged to partners who sympathized with the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZNL).79 viii. On March 11, 1999, the Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas sent a letter to the Attorney General of the State of Chiapas, informing him of the disappearance of Antonio González Méndez and stating, among other things, that up until the time of his disappearance, Antonio worked for approximately three months at the “Arroyo Frío” cooperative store, which was part of the El Calvario sector, where he was also born and that he was last seen with Juan Regino López Leoporto, [who is] from the community of Pasijal de Morelos, who is known to be a member of the Paz y Justicia group.80 ix. Between March 23, 1999 and March 9, 2000, several letters and reminders were sent to the Office of the Public Prosecutor of Yajalón, Chiapas, to the Office of the Assistant Attorney General for Indigenous Justice of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, to the Attorney General of the State, to the Judicial Police of every Zone of the State and to the Commanders of Public Security, requesting that the necessary investigations be conducted until all of the facts are fully elucidated.81 Based on different replies, it appears that searches were conducted and proved unsuccessful.82 x. In a letter of December 22, 1999, and in a follow-up letter sent on January 10, 2000, the State Human Rights Commission informed the Director General of Human Rights Protection of the Office of the Attorney General of the State that it was entertaining a Complaint investigation opened on the basis of a letter sent to the President of the United Mexican States and the Secretary of Government, requesting the release of Antonio González Méndez, who had been allegedly kidnapped by the “Paz y Justicia” Group and requested a copy of the Pretrial Investigation File.83 xi. Statement of Niqueas López Leoporto, brother of Juan Regino López Leoporto, dated March 20, 2000, to the Office of the Assistant Attorney General for Indigenous Justice, asserting that the statement made by his brother was not true regarding his brother having handed over the money from the sale of the gun to him.84 xii. On February 6, 2001, the Agent of the Office of the Public Prosecutor of the Office of the Attorney General for Indigenous Justice issues a decision, based on Article 16 of the Constitution, ordering the investigation to be closed without prejudice due to lack of evidence, inasmuch as the information appearing in the case file did not rise to the level of certainty of the charges.85 xiii. On March 14, 2001, the investigation is reopened by an Agent of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (not the same one that had closed the investigation a month earlier) and he orders the Municipal Judge and the Commander of Public Security of Sabanilla, Chiapas to appear with officials at their command in the community of El Calvario in order to investigate along with the family members and residents the whereabouts of Antonio González Méndez and to summon Sonia López Juarez.86 Annex 01. Case file of Preliminary Investigation AL41/SJI/030/99, pages 17-17th. Annex 15. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. Annex 01. Case file of Preliminary Investigation AL41/SJI/030/99, pages 28-29. Annex 15. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 81 Annex 01. Case file of Preliminary Investigation AL41/SJI/030/99, pages 30-46, 59, 66-67, 84. Annex 15. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 82 Annex 01. Case file of Preliminary Investigation AL41/SJI/030/99, pages 50-55, 63. Annex 15. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 83 Annex 01. Case file of Preliminary Investigation AL41/SJI/030/99, pages 73, 75. Annex 15. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 84 Annex 01. Case file of Preliminary Investigation AL41/SJI/030/99, page 83rd. Annex 15. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 85 Annex 01. Case file of Preliminary Investigation AL41/SJI/030/99, pages 93-93rd. Annex 15. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 86 Annex 01. Case file of Preliminary Investigation AL41/SJI/030/99, pages 97-98. Annex 15. Petitioner’s Submission, January 15, 2008. 79 80 11