Inter-American Court of Human Rights Case of the Rochela Massacre v. Colombia Judgment of May 11, 2007 (Merits, Reparations, and Costs) In the case of the Rochela Massacre, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Inter-American Court”, “the Court” or “the Tribunal”), composed of the following judges: Sergio García Ramírez, President Cecilia Medina Quiroga, Vice President Manuel E. Ventura Robles, Judge Diego García-Sayán, Judge Leonardo A. Franco, Judge Margarette May Macaulay, Judge, and Rhadys Abreu Blondet, Judge; also present, Pablo Saavedra Alessandri, Secretary, and Emilia Segares Rodríguez, Deputy Secretary; pursuant to Articles 62(3) and 63(1) of the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter “the American Convention” or “the Convention”) and Articles 29, 31, 53(2), 56 and 58 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court (hereinafter “the Rules of Procedure”), delivers the following Judgment. I INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE AND SUBJECT OF THE DISPUTE 1. On March 10, 2006, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 50 and 61 of the American Convention, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Commission” or “the Inter-American Commission”) submitted an application to the Court against the State of Colombia (hereinafter “the State” or “Colombia”). This application originated in petition No. 11,995, which was submitted to the Secretariat of the Commission on October 8, 1997 by the “José Alvear Restrepo” Legal Cooperative [Colectivo de Abogados “José Alvear Restrepo”]1. On October 9, 2002, the Commission adopted Admissibility Report No. 42/02, and on March 7, 2005, pursuant to Article 50 of the Convention, it adopted its Report on the Merits No. 29/05,2 which made certain 1 On January 19, 2001, the Center for Justice and International Law (hereinafter “CEJIL”) became a copetitioner. 2 In its report on merits, the Commission concluded that the State was responsible for: the violation of the right to life established in Article 4 of the American Convention to the detriment of Mariela Morales Caro, Pablo Antonio Beltrán Palomino, Virgilio Hernández Serrano, Carlos Fernando Castillo Zapata, Luis Orlando Hernández