ORDER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF FEBRUARY 2, 2006* ** REQUEST FOR PROVISIONAL MEASURES SUBMITTED BY THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS REGARDING THE UNITED MEXICAN STATES MATTER OF GARCÍA-URIBE ET AL. HAVING SEEN: 1. The brief of January 31, 2006, and its Appendixes,1 whereby the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Inter-American Commission” or “the Commission”) submitted to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Court”, “the Inter-American Court” or “the Tribunal”) a request for provisional measures in accordance with Article 63(2) of the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Convention” or “the American Convention”) and Article 25 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court, in order for the United Mexican States (hereinafter “the State” or “Mexico”) to “adopt any necessary measures to protect the life and physical integrity of Víctor Javier García-Uribe, Miriam García-Lara and their legal representatives,” among other things. CONSIDERING: 1. Mexico is a State Party to the American Convention since March 24, 1981, and on December 16, 1998, the State recognized the contentious jurisdiction of the Court pursuant to Article 62 of the Convention. 2. Article 63(2) of the American Convention provides that “[i]n cases of extreme gravity and urgency, and when necessary to avoid irreparable damage to persons, the Court shall adopt such provisional measures as it deems pertinent in matters it has under consideration. With respect to a case not yet submitted to the Court, it may act at the request of the Commission” (emphasis added). * Judge Sergio García-Ramírez, a national of Mexico, relinquished the Presidency of the InterAmerican Court for the purposes of proceedings on the requested provisional measures to the Vice-President of the Court, Judge Alirio Abreu-Burelli, pursuant to Article 4(3) of the Rules of Procedure of the Court. ** Judge Diego García-Sayán informed the Court that, for reasons beyond his control, he would not be able to attend the deliberation and signing of this Order. 1 To the date of this Order, the Inter-American Commission only submitted two of the four Appendixes specified in the request for provisional measures.