international level, entail disbursements that must be compensated when the State’s international
responsibility has been declared in a condemnatory judgment. Regarding the reimbursement of costs
and expenses, it is for the Court to prudently assess their scope, which includes expenses incurred
before the authorities of the domestic courts and those generated during the proceedings before the
inter-American system, taking into account the circumstances of the specific case and the nature of
the international jurisdiction for the protection of human rights. This assessment may be based on
the principle of equity, taking into account the expenses indicated by the parties, provided that their
quantum is reasonable. 356
214. Taking into account the amounts requested by each of the organizations and the receipts of
expenses presented, the Court establishes in equity the payment of a total amount of US$30,000.00
(thirty thousand United States dollars) for costs and expenses to FLIP, and a total amount of
US$15,000.00 (fifteen thousand dollars of the United States of America) for costs and expenses to
CEJIL. These amounts shall be delivered directly to the organizations. At the stage of monitoring
compliance with this judgment, the Court may order the State to reimburse the victims or their
representatives for any reasonable expenses incurred during that procedural stage. 357
I. Reimbursement of expenses to the Victims’ Legal Assistance Fund of the InterAmerican Court
215. In 2008, the General Assembly of the Organization of American States created the Victims’
Legal Assistance Fund of the inter-American human rights system, in order to “facilitate access to
the inter-American human rights system by persons who currently lack the resources needed to bring
their cases before the system.” 358
216. In a note of the Court’s Secretariat of June 17, 2021, a report was sent to the State on the
disbursements made in application of the Victims’ Legal Assistance Fund in this case, which amounted
to US$104.88 (one hundred and four dollars of the United States of America and eighty-eight cents)
and, as established in article 5 of the Court’s Rules of Procedure for the Operation of the said fund,
Colombia was granted a deadline for presenting any observations it deemed pertinent. The State
presented a brief on June 2, 2021, in which it indicated that it had no observations to make.
217. In accordance with Article 5 of the Fund’s Rules of Procedure, and based on the violations
declared in this judgment and also that the requirements to access the Fund were met, the Court
orders the State to reimburse the Fund in the amount of US$104.88 (one hundred and four dollars
of the United States of America and eighty-eight cents) for the necessary expenses. This amount
must be reimbursed within six months of notification of this judgment.
J. Method of compliance with the payments ordered
218. The State shall make the payments for compensation of pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage,
as established in this judgment, directly to the persons and organizations indicated herein, within
Cf. Case of Garrido and Baigorria v. Argentina. Merits, Reparations, and Costs, supra, para. 82, and Case of
Montesinos Mejia v. Ecuador. Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations, and Costs, supra, para. 244.
356
Cf. Case of Ibsen Cárdenas and Ibsen Peña v. Bolivia, supra, para. 29, and Case of Guachalá Chimbo et al. v. Ecuador,
supra, para. 271.
357
358
Cf. AG/RES. 2426 (XXXVIII-O/08), Resolution adopted at the fourth plenary session of the General Assembly of the
OAS during the 38th regular sessions of the OAS, fourth plenary session, held on June 3, 2008, “Establishment of the Legal
Assistance Fund of the Inter-American Human Rights System,” Resolving paragraph 2(a), and CP/RES. 963 (1728/09),
Resolution adopted on November 11, 2009 by the Permanent Council of the OAS, “Rules of Procedure for the Operation of the
Legal Assistance Fund of the Inter-American Human Rights System,” Article 1(1).
71