14
29)
On May 25, 1999, the Court ordered the expansion of the aforementioned
provisional measures to include: Wilberforce Bernard, Naresh Boodram, Joey
Ramiah, Clarence Charles, Phillip Chotalal, George Constantine, Rodney Davis,
Natasha De Leon, Mervyn Edmund, Alfred Frederick, Nigel Mark, Wayne Matthews,
Steve Mungroo, Vijay Mungroo, Wilson Prince, Martin Reid, Noel Seepersad,
Gangadeen Tahaloo, Keiron Thomas, and Samuel Winchester. 20
30)
On May 27, 1999, the Court ordered the State, inter alia, to take all measures
necessary to preserve the lives of Peter Benjamin, Krishendath Seepersad, Allan
Phillip, Narine Sooklal, and Amir Mowlah, among others, so as not to impede the
processing of their cases before the inter-American system. 21
31)
On September 25, 1999, the Court ordered, as in the previous cases (supra
paras. 28-30) the amplification of the provisional measures and directed the State,
inter alia, to take all measures necessary to preserve the lives of Mervyn Parris and
Francis Mansingh. 22
32)
Despite the Court's requests on multiple occasions that the State provide
information in relation to the provisional measures, 23 Trinidad and Tobago has failed
to submit any information regarding the situation of the alleged victims.
33)
On June 4, 1999, Trinidad and Tobago executed Joey Ramiah, who was
among those protected by the provisional measures ordered by this Court (supra
paras. 5(b) and 6(iii), infra paras. 190-200).
V
PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT
20
By means of a communication dated May 3, 1999, received in the Secretariat of the Court on the
7th of the same month and year, the Commission requested that the Court amplify the provisional
measures ordered in the matter of James et al. to include twenty additional persons. The Commission's
arguments were identical to those made in its earlier requests for amplification (supra note 19). On May
11, 1999, the President of the Court ordered the State, inter alia, to take all measures necessary to
preserve the lives of the alleged victims, so that the Court could examine the merit of the Commission’s
request.
21
On May 25, 1999, the Commission requested that the Court expand the provisional measures in
the matter of James et al. to include eight more persons, three of whom are not included in the
Applications of the present Case (Kevin Dial, Andrew Dottin, and Anthony Johnson). The Commission
considered that the execution of these eight persons was imminent and that they were therefore
vulnerable to irreparable harm and that their circumstances were similar to those of the inmates for which
the Court had already ordered provisional measures.
22
On June 18, 1999, the Commission transmitted to the Court a request to further expand the
provisional measures issued by the Court in the James et al. matter, to include Mervyn Parris and Francis
Mansingh. The Commission considered that the circumstances were similar to those of the other inmates
for whom the existing Order for provisional measures applied in Trinidad and Tobago, that the executions
of these two persons were imminent and that they were therefore vulnerable to irreparable harm. On
June 19, 1999, the President of the Court decided to expand the provisional measures in the James et al.
matter to include Mervyn Parris and Francis Mansingh.
23
Cf. Orders of the President of the Court and of the Inter-American Court dated: May 27, June 14,
June 29, July 13, July 22 and August 29, 1998; May 11, May 25, May 27, June 19, and September 25, 1999;
August 16 and November 24, 2000; October 25, and November 26, 2001.