56 134.5. one of the direct perpetrators of the murder was Noel de Jesús Beteta Álvarez (infra para. 134.22);42 134.6. Myrna Mack Chang was placed under surveillance and extra-legally executed in a military intelligence operation developed by the high command of the Presidential General Staff;43 134.7. the extra-legal execution of Myrna Mack Chang was politically motivated, due to the research activities that she carried out with the Comunidades de Población en Resistencia (CPR) and the policies of the Guatemalan army toward them. This situation was viewed as a threat to national security and to the Guatemalan Government;44 Political, social, and juridical context at the time of the death of Myrna Mack Chang 134.8 at the time of the facts pertaining to this case in 1990, Guatemala was in the midst of an internal armed conflict;45 41 Cf. certification of the death certificate of Myrna Mack Chang (file with annexes to the brief with requests, pleadings and evidence submitted by the representatives of the next of kin of the victim, annex R-VII-42, leaf 3220 and file with annexes to the application, annex 16, leaf 400); Ruling on appeal for review by the Supreme Court of Justice of Guatemala of February 9, 1994 (file with annexes to the application, annex 19, leaves 488 to 552); and Judgment of the Third Criminal Trial Court of February 12, 1993 (file with annexes to the application, annex 17, leaves 402 to 451). 42 Cf. Ruling on appeal for review by the Supreme Court of Justice of Guatemala of February 9, 1994 (file with annexes to the application, annex 19, leaves 488 to 552); and Judgment of the Third Criminal Trial Court of February 12, 1993 (file with annexes to the application, annex 17, leaves 402 to 451). 43 Cf. testimony by Helen Mack Chang and Henry Monroy Andrino rendered before the Court on February 18 and 19, 2003; expert opinions of Katharine Doyle an d Iduvina Hernández rendered before the Court on February 18 and 19, 2003; report by the Procurador de los Derechos Humanos or Human Rights Ombudsman of Guatemala dated November 9, 1992 (file with annexes to the application, annex 47, leaves 882 to 896); report by the Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico, “Guatemala, memoria del silencio,” volume VI, pages 235 to 244 (file with annexes to the application, annex 42, leaves 788 to 793); and report by the Proyecto Interdiocesano de Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica, “Guatemala: Nunca Más: el entorno histórico,” volume III, pages 292 to 294 (file with annexes to the application, annex 52.4, leaves 1128 to 1129 and file with annexes to the brief with requests, pleadings and evidence of the representatives of the next of kin of the victim, annex R-VII-64). 44 Cf. testimony by Julio Cabrera Ovalle, Helen Mack Chang and Henry Monroy Andrino rendered before the Court on February 18 and 19, 2003; expert opinions of Mónica Pinto, Iduvina Hernández and Katharine Doyle rendered before the Court on February 18 and 19, 2003; report by the Human Rights Ombudsman of Guatemala of November 9, 1992 (file with annexes to the application, annex 47, leaves 882 to 896); report by the Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico, “Guatemala, memoria del silencio,” volume VI, pages 235 to 244 (file with annexes to the application, annex 42, leaves 788 to 793); statement by Clara Arenas Bianchi before the Third Criminal Trial Court of first instance on August 24, 1992 (file with annexes to the brief with requests, pleadings and evidence of the representatives of the next of kin of the victim, annex R-VII-33, leaves 3050 to 3057); and report by the Proyecto Interdiocesano de Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica, “Guatemala: Nunca Más: el entorno histórico,” volume III, pages 292 to 294 (file with annexes to the application, annex 52.4, leaves 1128 and 1129 and file with annexes to the brief with requests, pleadings and evidence of the representatives of the next of kin of the victim, annex R-VII-64). 45 Cf. Peace accord “Acuerdo de Paz Firme y Duradera,” signed on December 29, 1996 by the Government of Guatemala and the representatives of the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG); “Informe del Experto independiente, Sr. Christian Tomuschat, sobre la situación de los derechos humanos en Guatemala, preparado de conformidad con el párrafo 14 de la resolución 1990/80 de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos” (United Nations) of January 11, 1991 (file with annexes to the application, annex 52, leaves 961 to 969); and report by the Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico,