17 56. On February 9, 1995, a representative of the Attorney General’s Office filed a request for “appearance” in the instant case.42 During the processing of such investigation, eight prosecutors “were designated” as representatives of the Attorney General’s Office.43 57. On March 6, 1995, police sergeant Ismael Perdomo took Juan Francisco LópezMejía, a 16-year old boy, who was allegedly responsible for the events, before the authorities of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations (Dirección de Investigación Criminal).44 In his statement, the young boy admitted his responsibility for the events and accused two of his relatives.45 On that same day, the Criminal Magistrate’s Court of the city of Tela ordered the arrest of Mr. Juan Mejía-Ramírez and Mr. Sabas Mejía-Ramírez, identified as alleged suspects for the murder of Mrs. Blanca Jeannette Kawas-Fernández.46 On March 8, 1995, the Court “annulled the warrant of arrest issued”.47 Even though this decision was groundless, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation at that time stated in a subsequent statement (infra para. 63) that Juan Francisco López-Mejía confessed to have been coerced into rendering an incriminating statement; therefore, the arrest was declared without Merits. 58. On March 23, 1995, the last of the 27 witness testimonies mentioned above was received from an Army Coronel, Mr. Amaya.48 One year later, on March 10, 1996, the Tela 42 Cf. request for “appearance” of the Attorney General’s Office filed by José Francisco Pineda-Ayala with the Criminal Magistrate’s Court in and for Tela(record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2108). 43 Cf. request for “appearance” by the Attorney General’s Office (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2108); official letter of April 17, 1995, sent by José Mario Salgado-Montalbán, for “appearance” by a member of the Attorney General’s Office, Criminal Magistrate’s Court in and for Tela (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2168); official letter of June 8, 2001, sent by prosecutor Luis Javier Santos-Cruz, for “appearance” by a member of the Attorney General’s Office, Criminal Magistrate’s Court in and for Tela (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2177); official letter of August 14, 2003, sent by prosecutor Jacobo Jesús Erazo-Osorto, for “appearance” by a member of the Attorney General’s Office, Criminal Magistrate’s Court in and for Tela (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2182); official letter of September 19, 2003, sent by prosecutor Luis Javier Santos-Cruz, for “appearance” by a member of the Attorney General’s Office, Criminal Magistrate’s Court in and for Tela (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2192), brief of December 1, 2006, sent by prosecutor María de los Ángeles Barahona-Díaz, for “appearance” by a member of the Attorney General's Office, Court of First Instance in and for Tela (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2429), and brief of June 12, 2008, sent by prosecutor Eduardo Antonio Lagos-Galindo, for “appearance” by a member of the Attorney General's Office, Court of First Instance in and for Tela, Atlántida (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2546). 44 Cf. witness testimony of Saúl Benjamín Zapata-Mejía of January 20, 2004, supra note 31; Technical and Legal Opinion No. DCAT-SATJ- AFS 022/2003, supra note 31; and memorandum addressed to Bureau of Criminal Investigations director Wilfredo Alvarado by Carlos Cruz-Pérez, coordinator of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations of Tela, on May 10, 1996 (record of appendixes to the brief of requests and arguments, appendix L.11, folios 1714 to 1716). 45 Cf. statement of Juan Francisco López-Mejía rendered on March 6, 1995, before the Criminal Magistrate’s Court in and for Tela (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2276). 46 Cf. official letter March 6, 1995, of the Criminal Magistrate’s Court in and for Tela whereby it Ordered the arrest of Mr. Sabas Mejía-Ramírez and Mr. Juan Mejía-Ramírez (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2174 and 2176). 47 Cf. official letter of March 8, 1995, of the Criminal Magistrate’s Court in and for Tela, whereby the warrant of arrests for Mr. Sabas Mejía-Ramírez and Mr. Juan Mejía-Ramírez were annulled (record of appendixes to the answer to the application, appendix 8, folio 2175). 48 Cf. statement of Mario Amaya rendered on March 23, 1995, supra note 41.