7 appropriate. The parties were also informed that they had up to August 9, 2004 to submit their final written pleadings. 30. On June 25, 2004, after an extension granted, the representatives submitted the sworn statements of Alain Abellard and Michel Robert, and the replies of Laurent Rapin to a questionnaire sent to him by the representatives. On the 30th of that same month and year, they sent the statement rendered before a notary public by César Banda Batallas. They stated that they had been unable to communicate with Brigitte Durin, former French consul in Ecuador, for which reason they did not attach her statement. They sent the sworn statements of Frederique Tibi, the alleged victim’s current common-law spouse, and of Eric Orhand and Blandine Pelissier, his friends, who had not been included as witnesses in the brief containing pleadings and motions nor in the final list of witnesses. The statements of Michel Robert, Frederique Tibi, Blandine Pelissier and Eric Orhand were sent in English. The Spanish-language version was submitted on June 28, 2004. 31. On July 1, 2004 the Commission stated that it had no comments on the statements by Alain Abellard and Laurent Rapin, on the expert opinion of expert witness Michel Robert, or on the new testimony submitted to the Court by the representatives by means of affidavits. The State made no comments on said statements. 32. On July 2, 2004 the State extemporaneously sent the statements rendered before a notary public (by means of affidavits) by Elsy Magdalena Peñafiel Toscano and Gloria Antonia Pérez Vera, after granting an extension until June 25, 2004. The State also reported that it was unable to supply the statement of Blanca López, for which reason it withdrew said witness. 33. At a public hearing on July 7 and 8, 2004, the Court heard the statements of the witnesses and the expert opinions of the expert witnesses offered by the InterAmerican Commission, the representatives and the State. The Court also heard the pleadings on preliminary objections and merits, reparations, and costs, of the InterAmerican Commission, of the representatives and of the State. There appeared before the Court: on behalf of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Santiago A. Canton, Delegate; Andrea Galindo, legal advisor; Lilly Ching, legal advisor, and Elizabeth Abi-Mershed, legal advisor; on behalf of the State of Ecuador: Rodrigo Durango Cordero, Deputy Agent; on behalf of the representatives of the alleged victim and his next of kin: Viviana Krsticevic, representative; Oswaldo Ruiz Chiriboga, representative; Soraya Long, representative, and Roxana Altholz, representative.