22 54(8) Mr. Alfredo López Álvarez, while he was detained in the Criminal Center of Tela, was a member of the Committee for the Defense of the Rights of Inmates (CODIN), established in the twelve criminal centers of Honduras, within the framework of the Interinstitutional Agreement between the Secretariat of Security and the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH).29 Regarding the arrest of Mr. Alfredo López Álvarez 54(9) On March 31, 1997 the Office of Criminal Investigation received a telephone call from a non-identified person, who stated that “Mr. Sunny Loreto Cubas was a largescale drug dealer”. On that date, officers of the Office for the Fight Against DrugDealing “started investigating the case, receiving other phone calls regarding the movements of the accused, [Mr. Sunny Loreto Cubas].” On April 27, 1997 the DIC received a new telephone call from a “non-identified source”, who said that on that same day “[Mr.] Sunny Loreto [Cubas] would meet with two people on the beach.” Consequently, the officers Fabricio Lupiac, Darwin Valladares, Alex Wilmer Bejarano, Roberto Cabrera, Omar Discua, and Angel Reyes started surveillance on the surroundings of the Puerto Rico Hotel, city of Tela, Honduras.30 54(10) On April 27, 1997 Mr. Alfredo López Álvarez looked for Mr. Luis Ángel Acosta, mechanic, in order to repair his automobile, which was not working. The latter informed him that it would be necessary to tow the automobile in order to repair it. Since it was not possible to transfer the vehicle at that time to the city of Tela, the alleged victim “hitched a ride” with Mr. Acosta, to the proximities of the Puerto Rico Hotel in said population.31 and Marie Peron, signed by its president, Mr. Alfredo López-Álvarez, of July 26, 1995 (dossier of appendixes to the petition, appendix 21, folio 836); statement offered by Ernesta Cayetano Zúñiga before notary public (affidavit) on May 30, 2005 (dossier on merits and reparations, Volume III, folios 603 through 606); statement offered by Secundino Torres Amaya before notary public (affidavit) on May 30, 2005 (dossier on merits and reparations, volume III, folios 607 through 611); statement offered by Andrés Pavón Murillo before notary public (affidavit) on May 30, 2005 (dossier on merits and reparations, volume III, folios 616 through 620); statements of the witnesses Santos Diego Valerio, Ester Valerio Martínez, Margarita Martínez Castillo, and Victoria Palacios Martínez offered before the Sectional Court of First Instance of Tela on May 23, 1997 (dossier of appendixes to the response to the petition, volume I, folios 172 through 175), and official letter presented by Mr. Víctor Vargas Navarro, representing defense counsel of Mr. Alfredo López-Álvarez, before the Sectional Judge of First Instance of Tela on May 29, 1997 (dossier of appendixes to the response to the petition, volume I, folio 197). 28 Cf. arguments of Mrs. Gregoria Flores in hearing on the merits carried out during the 114° Regular Sessions of the Inter-American Commission on March 8, 2002 (dossier of appendixes to the petition, volume I, appendix 5, folios 665 through 678), and official letter presented by Mr. Víctor Vargas Navarro, representing defense counsel of Mr. Alfredo López-Álvarez, before the Sectional Judge of First Instance of Tela on May 29, 1997 (dossier of appendixes to the response to the petition, volume I, folio 197). 29 Cf. official letter issued by the president of the Committee for the Defense of Human rights in Honduras (CODEH), Mr. Andrés Pavón Murillo, addressed to the Secretary of Security, Mr. Gautama Fonseca Zúñiga, on April 5, 2001 (dossier of appendixes to the petition, appendix 36, folios 885 through 888). 30 Cf. accusation presented by the prosecutor of the Office of the Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Honduras, Mr. José Mario Salgado Montalbán, before the Sectional Judge of First Instance of Tela against Messrs. Alfredo López-Álvarez, Luis Ángel Acosta, and Sunny Loreto Cubas on April 30, 1997 (dossier of appendixes to the response to the petition, volume I, folios 126 and 127). 31 Cf. preliminary examination statement offered by Mr. Alfredo López-Álvarez before the Sectional Court of First Instance of Tela on April 29, 1997 (dossier of appendixes to the petition, appendix 24, folios 848 through 850); production of testimonial evidence number six of Mrs. Teresa Reyes Reyes before the Sectional Court of First Instance of Tela on January 22, 1999 (dossier of appendixes to the response to the petition, volume II, folio 461), production of testimonial evidence number six of Mrs. Gregoria Martínez