3
was in charge of the Departamento de Defensores de Derechos Humanos and
Luis Cáceres, Director of the Legal Area of the Comisión Presidencial de
Derechos Humanos (COPREDEH), who attended the commemoration, went to
the National Civil Police station at the municipal seat in Rabinal to inquire about
steps taken by the Police.
iv.
On July 20 [2004], Salvador Jerónimo Sánchez went before the
Magistrate at Rabinal to inquire about the status of the case and that judge
sent him to testify before the Public Prosecutor’s office in Salamá, the capital of
the department of Baja Verapaz.
In view of the above, given the alleged urgency of the aforementioned situation, the
representatives asked the Court:
i
[…] pursuant to Article 63(2) of the Convention, to take such
measures as it deems appropriate. Specifically, the applicants ask the Court to
request perimeter surveillance by the National Civil Police for Salvador Jerónimo
Sánchez, Juan Manuel Jerónimo, Buenaventura Manuel Jerónimo, Prudencia
Cajbon, Faustina Tojom and their families.
ii.
[…] to order the State of Guatemala to take such measures as may be
necessary to ensure the petitioners’ lives and their right to humane treatment
and to ensure respect for their rights, regulated by the American Convention on
Human Rights.
iii.
[…] to order the State to investigate the facts reported that gave rise
to the instant measures, with the aim of discovering and punishing those
responsible.
6.
The July 26 and 27, 2004 notes by the Secretariat of the Court (hereinafter
“the Secretariat”), in which, under instructions by the President of the Court
(hereinafter “the President”), it granted the State and the Inter-American
Commission, respectively, 48 hours to submit their observations on the
representatives’ request for provisional measures.
7.
The July 28, 2004 brief by the State, in which it submitted its observations on
the request for provisional measures made by the representatives. In said brief, the
State pointed out that “there are serious grounds of extreme gravity and urgency
that endanger the life, safety and personal liberty of Salvador Jerónimo Sánchez,
Prudencia Cabjón, Faustina Tojom, Juan Manuel Jerónimo, and Buenaventura Manuel
Jerónimo.” In this regard, the State reported that, “due to the facts reported, [the]
Coordinator of the Unidad Coordinadora de Protección para Defensores de Derechos
Humanos and [the] Deputy Agent and Director of the Legal Department of the
Comisión Presidencial Coordinadora de la Política del Ejecutivo en Materia de
Derechos Humanos (hereinafter “COPREDEH”)] went to sub-station 5221, in the
municipality of Rabinal, Department of Baja Verapaz, with the aim of providing
follow-up on police and judicial actions regarding the fact stated in the complaint.”
The State also mentioned that a meeting was held on July 23, 2004 among the Legal
Director of the Centro de Acción Legal en Derechos Humanos (CALDH),
representatives of the Ministerio de Gobernación [Interior Ministry], and the Unidad
Coordinadora de Protección para Defensores de Derechos Humanos “with the aim of
coordinating, in an agile and effective manner, the mechanism for preventive
protection of Salvador Jerónimo Sánchez and [the] other members of the Community
of Plan de Sánchez, Rabinal, Baja Verapaz, until the [...] Inter-American Court […]
rules on the request for provisional measures filed before it.” Finally, the State
reported that the Police Station for the Department of Alta Verapaz, together with
the regional office of COPREDEH, are in charge of verifying “protection of Salvador
Jerónimo Sánchez when he goes from his home [...] toward his work.”