for the decision on the disciplinary investigation conducted by the Police Department of Putumayo in connection with the facts. On December 11, 1995 the Director General of the National Police ordered “cessation of the proceedings” against the accused persons, and on February 15, 1996 this was confirmed by the High Military Court of the Military Forces of Colombia, due to extinguishment of the penal action for malfeasance of office, which made the proceedings against the accused persons cease.74 Other facts s) That the State has recognized its responsibility for the death of six of the victims in the instant case and those responsible for the facts have not been identified nor punished in the criminal proceedings, ongoing for more than eleven years, for which reason denial of justice and impunity continue; t) that the next of kin of the victims have been harassed and stigmatized by State authorities as next of kin of members of subversive armed groups, and they continue to suffer due to denial of justice and impunity prevailing in this case, which has affected their relations within the family, at a social level and at work, and in some cases has endangered their life and personal safety;75 and u) the Colombian Commission of Jurists undertook representation of the next of kin of the victims and resorted to the inter-American system for protection of human rights, for which it incurred a number of expenses before the Commission and the Court.76 The Center for Justice and International Development participated as a 74 Cf. file of the military criminal proceedings opened by the 52d Military Criminal Magistrates’ Court of the Office of the Inspector General of the National Police regarding possible commission of the crime of malfeasance of office, evidence supplied by the State during the merits phase of Las Palmeras Case. 75 Cf. February 23, 1995 Judgment of the Administrative Court of Nariño in proceedings joinder No. 4534; sworn certification of testimony rendered on June17, 1995 by Hilda Restrepo Sánchez, Second Municipal Criminal Judge of Tumaco, Nariño, as requested by the 51st Military Criminal Magistrates´ Court in the preliminary proceedings No. 1114; testimony of Bladimir Cerón Rojas, Adelina López de Pantoja, Blanca Flor Rojas, and Pedro Elías Díaz Romero rendered on May 28, 2001 before the Court during the public hearing on the merits of the case; testimony of María Córdula Mora Jacanamijoy and Jorge Franclin Cuarán Muchavisoy rendered on June 14, 2002 before the Court during the public hearing on reparations in this case; written statements by Luis Edmundo Pantoja Ordóñez, María Adelina López, Jaime Pantoja López, Carmen Leonor Pantoja López, Blanca Flor Rojas, Bladimir Cerón Rojas, Carmen Cecilia Cuarán Muchavisoy, Doris Silvia Cuarán Muchavisoy, and Umberto Enrique Cuarán Muchavisoy, included in the file with evidence supplied during the reparations phase in Las Palmeras Case, under the title “Declaraciones juradas presentadas por los representantes de los familiares de las víctimas,” sheets 2025 to 2055; and expert opinion of Ana Deutsch rendered on June 14, 2002 before the Court during the public hearing on reparations in this case. 76 Cf. powers of attorney granted on December 8, 1993, February 18, 1999 and May 6, 2002 by Blanca Flor Rojas (on her own behalf and on behalf of her children Bladimir, Leyman, Zoraida Marley, all of them Cerón Rojas and Yaneida Violeta Cerón Vargas) in favor of Gallón Giraldo and Carlos Rodríguez Mejía, Members of The Colombian Commission of Jurists, as representatives before the Commission and the Court in Las Palmeras Case regarding the death of Julio Milciades Cerón Gómez and Edebraes Norverto and Wilian Hamilton Cerón Rojas; powers of attorney granted between August 21 and 27, 1998 by Luis, Bertilda Heroína, Digna Reinalda, Dolores Celina, Rosa Evila, Adela Nilda, Ulpiano, and Manuel Esteban, all of them Cerón Gómez, in favor of Gustavo Gallón Giraldo, member of The Colombian Commission of Jurists, as representatives before the Commission and the Court in Las Palmeras Case regarding the death of Julio Milciades Cerón Gómez; power of attorney granted on August 18, 1998 by Inés Sigindioy Narváez (on her own behalf and on that of her daughter Johana Carolina Lizcano Sigindioy) in favor of Gustavo Gallón Giraldo, member of The Colombian Commission of Jurists, as representatives before the Commission and the Court in Las Palmeras Case regarding the death of Hernán Lizcano Jacanamijoy; power of attorney granted on August 18, 1998 by Humberto Lizcano Jacanamijoy in favor of Gustavo Gallón Giraldo, member of The Colombian Commission of Jurists, as representatives before the