9 even more so in criminal matters. Over 40 percent of the persons in Ecuador's jails have been detained for drug-related offenses. Article 20 of Ecuador's Political Constitution provides that all the political, civil, social, economic and cultural rights established in the international Conventions, Covenants, or Declarations are applicable to all persons living in its territory. *** 24. On June 16, 1997, the Secretariat, on instructions from the President, informed the State and the Commission that it had set the deadline of July 18, for presentation of final written arguments on the merits of the case. On July 16, the Commission asked the President for a four-day extension of that deadline. On July 18, Ecuador asked for the deadline to be extended until July 31. On July 21, the Secretariat informed Ecuador and the Commission that the President had granted an extension until August 11, 1997. 25. The briefs containing the final arguments were submitted by the Commission and the State on July 22 and August 8, 1997, respectively. V Urgent Measures Adopted in this Case 26. On March 15, 1996, the Commission requested the Court to "[t]ake such measures as are necessary to ensure that Mr. Iván Suárez-Rosero [was] released immediately, pending continuation of the procedures." In support of its request, it alleged that Mr. Suárez-Rosero had been held in preventive detention for approximately three years and nine months, that during that period he had not been housed separately from condemned prisoners and that a court order had been issued for his release. On April 12, 1996, the Commission requested the Court to expand the Urgent Measures to include Mr. SuárezRosero's wife, Mrs. Margarita Ramadán de Suárez, and her daughter, Micaela SuárezRamadán, owing to an alleged attempt on Mr. Suárez-Rosero's life on April 1, 1996, and the threats and harassment to which he and his family have been subjected. 27. By orders of April 12 and 24, 1996, the President asked the State to adopt, forthwith, such measures as may be necessary to effectively ensure the physical and moral integrity of Mr. Rafael Iván Suárez-Rosero, his wife, Ms. Margarita Ramadán de Suárez, and their daughter, Micaela Suárez-Ramadán. 28. On June 28, 1996, the Court decided to close the Urgent Measures inasmuch as the Commission had informed it that Mr. Suárez-Rosero had been released, so that his safety and that of his family was not at risk. VI Evaluation of the Evidence 29. As attachments to its application, the Commission submitted copies of 32 documents connected with the Mr. Suárez-Rosero's detention and the criminal action brought against him by the State. For its part, Ecuador submitted certified copies of ten court documents referring to the Case against Mr. Suárez-Rosero and the official authorized text of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Republic of Ecuador, and, at the request of the Court, it submitted the official authorized text of Ecuador's Law on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and its Criminal Code. Those documents were not challenged or contested in