3 3. Compensate the victims. 4. Adopt the necessary measure to avoid similar events occurring in future, in accordance with its obligation to safeguard and ensure the fundamental rights recognized in the American Convention. 8. On March 19, 2003, the Commission forwarded this report to the State granting it one month from the date of transmittal to provide information on the measures adopted to comply with the recommendations. 9. On March 19, 2003, the Commission informed the petitioners that it had adopted the report indicated in Article 50 of the American Convention on Human Rights and requested them to submit, within two months, their position as regards submitting the case to the Court. 10. On May 2, 2003, YATAMA, CENIDH and CEJIL presented a brief in which they requested the Commission to submit the case to the Court, if the State failed to comply with the recommendations contained in the Commission’s report. 11. On June 11, 2003, the State forwarded to the Commission its reply concerning the recommendations made in Report on Merits No. 24/03. 12. On June 12, 2003, having examined the State’s reply, the Commission decided to submit the case to the Court. IV PROCEEDING BEFORE THE COURT 13. On June 17, 2003, the Inter-American Commission filed the application before the Court (supra para. 1) with the documentary evidence, and offered testimonial and expert evidence. The Commission appointed Susana Villarán and Santiago A. Canton as delegates, and Isabel Madariaga and Ariel Dulitzky as legal advisors. 14. On August 21, 2003, after the President of the Court (hereinafter “the President”) had made a preliminary review of the application, the Secretariat of the Court (hereinafter “the Secretariat”) notified it, together with the attachments, to the representatives of the alleged victims (hereinafter “the representatives”) and the State. It also informed the State of the time limits for answering the application and appointing its representatives for the proceedings. The same day, on the instructions of the President, the Secretariat informed the State of its right to appoint a judge ad hoc to take part in considering the case. 15. On September 2, 2003, the State appointed José Antonio Tijerino Medrano as its Agent, Carlos Hernández Palacios, as adviser, and María Cecilia Contreras Benavides2 as assistant, and advised that it had designated Alejandro Montiel Argüello as Judge ad hoc. 16. On November 14, 2003, the representatives of the alleged victims submitted their brief with requests and arguments with documentary evidence attached, and offered testimonial and expert evidence. 2 On February 9, 2004, the State forwarded a brief in which it advised that it had appointed María Cecilia Contreras Benavides as Deputy Agent, and on April 29, 2005, the State remitted a communication in which it indicated that it had appointed Karla Elaine Carcache Hernández as assistant.