ORDER OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF JULY 31, 2013 CASE OF BREWER CARÍAS v. VENEZUELA HAVING SEEN: 1. The brief submitting the case against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (hereinafter “the State” or “Venezuela”) presented on March 7, 2012 by the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Inter-American Commission” or “the Commission”) before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Inter-American Court” or “the Court”), in which it forwarded the Report on Merits No. 171/11 and offered one expert opinion. The Commission also requested the transfer, where pertinent, of five statements rendered in five previous cases against Venezuela. 2. The brief of pleadings, motions and evidence submitted by the representatives 1 on July 7, 2012, in which they offered the statement of the alleged victim, two testimonies and five expert opinions. 3. The notes of September 12, 2012, in which the Secretariat of the Court (hereinafter “the Secretariat”) informed the parties and the Inter-American Commission that the President of the Court, in consultation with the other judges of the Court, had decided to accept the excuse presented on July 11, 2012 by Judge Eduardo Vio Grossi with regarding to acting as a judge in this case. 4. The brief of November 12, 2012, in which Venezuela filed “preliminary objections,” answered the brief submitting the case and presented its observations to the brief of pleadings, motions and evidence (hereinafter “answer brief”). Also, the State indicated that it “reject[ed]” the excuse presented by Judge Vio Grossi (supra Having Seen 3). In that brief, the State offered one expert opinion and eight testimonies. 5. The Order of the Acting President of the Court 2 of November 23, 2012, in which he decided, inter alia, that the allegations filed by Venezuela in its answer brief concerning the alleged lack of impartiality of five Judges and of the Secretary of the Court did not constitute a preliminary objection, 3 that they were groundless, and that the full Court should continue to hear this case. 1 In a communication of April 24, 2012 and its attachment, Mr. Allan Brewer-Carías, the alleged victim, reported that Messrs. Pedro Nikken, Helio Bicudo, Claudio Grossman, Juan E. Méndez, Douglas Cassel and Héctor Faúndez Ledesma would represent him before the Court and that Mr. Nikken would be the “intervening lawyer to whom all communications [in this case] should be sent” 2 3 Judge Alberto Pérez Pérez served as Acting President for the purposes of this Order. As a preliminary objection, Venezuela presented a challenge against Judges Diego García -Sayán, Manuel E. Ventura Robles, Leonardo A. Franco, Margarette May Macaulay and Rhadys Abreu Blondet, as well as against Pablo Saavedra Alessandri “ in his capacity as Secretary” of the Court.