statements of the alleged victim Rosa Elvira Franco Sandoval and of the expert witness
María Eugenia Solís García, proposed by the representatives, and of Elizabeth Salmón,
proposed by the Commission.
D. Application of the Victims’ Legal Assistance Fund
36.
In the Order issued on January 8, 2013 (supra Having Seen 6), this Presidency
decided to admit the request submitted by the alleged victims, through their
representatives, to have access to the Assistance Fund of the Court, and to grant the
financial assistance necessary to present a maximum of four statements, either by means of
affidavits or at a public hearing.
37.
Having determined that the statements offered by the representatives shall be
received by the Court, and the means by which these shall be rendered, it is now
appropriate to determine the specific recipients and purpose of said assistance.
38.
Accordingly, the President decides that financial assistance shall be provided to cover
the travel and accommodation expenses necessary to enable the alleged victim Mrs. Rosa
Elvira Franco Sandoval and the expert witness María Eugenia Solís García to appear before
the Court and render their statements during the public hearing to be held at the seat of the
Court. Financial assistance shall also be provided to cover the expenses of formalizing and
sending two statements rendered by affidavit, as decided by the alleged victims or their
representatives, in accordance with Operative para. 1 of this Order. The representatives
shall provide the Court with the names of the two deponents whose affidavits shall be
covered by the Assistance Fund, as well as an estimate of the cost of formalizing each
sworn statement in Guatemala and sending it, within the period established in the operative
part of this Order (infra Operative para. 8). As to the two deponents summoned to appear
at the public hearing, the Court shall make the pertinent and necessary arrangements to
cover the costs of their travel, accommodation and per diems with resources from the
Victims’ Assistance Fund.
39.
As required by Article 4 of the Rules for the Operation of the Assistance Fund of the
Court (hereinafter the “Rules of the Assistance Fund”), the Secretariat of the Court shall
open a file on the costs of the case, in order to keep accounts and record all expenditures
made with resources from said Fund.
40.
Finally, the President recalls that, pursuant to Article 5 of the Rules of the Fund, the
respondent State shall be informed in due course of the expenditures made from the
Assistance Fund so that it may submit any observations, if it so wishes, within the period
established for that purpose.
E. Final oral and written arguments and observations
41.
The representatives and the State may present to the Court their final oral
arguments regarding the preliminary objection and possible merits, reparations and costs in
this case, respectively, once the statements of the alleged victim and the expert witnesses
have been rendered. As established in Article 51(8) of the Rules, once these arguments
have concluded, the Inter-American Commission shall present its final oral observations.
(infra Operative para. 10).
42.
According to Article 56 of the Rules of Procedure, the representatives and the State
may submit their final written arguments, and the Commission its final written observations,
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