October 15, 2009 the State appointed Eduardo Ferrer Mac-Gregor Poisot in this
capacity.
8.
In an Order issued on July 2, 2010, the Court’s President (hereinafter “the
President”) summoned a public hearing in this case and ordered that certain
affidavits and other statements be presented at said hearing. 8 The parties were
granted an opportunity to present observations to the affidavits.
9.
The Court also received twelve amicus curiae briefs from the following
individuals, institutions and organizations: The Human Rights Clinic of the Human
Rights Program at Harvard Law School, 9 concerning the admissibility of the alleged
victims’ arguments regarding the duration of the unlawful detention and abuse
suffered during their detention; the Human Rights Clinic at the University of
Texas, 10 concerning the vulnerability of persons detained without an arrest warrant
and the need to be brought before a court, without delay; Gustavo Fondevila, a
professor at the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económica (Economic Research
and Teaching Center) (CIDE), 11 concerning unlawful detentions carried out by the
Mexican Army and the legalization of torture under the concept of coerced
confession; Asociación para la Prevención de la Tortura (Association for the
Prevention of Torture), 12 regarding the exclusion of evidence obtained under
torture; Miguel Sarre, professor at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico
(Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico) (ITAM), 13 regarding the State’s
obligation to regulate the registration of detainees as a measure of non-repetition;
Clínica de Derechos Humanos de la Escuela Libre de Derecho (Human Rights Clinic
at the Free Law School), 14 on the duty to protect, guarantee and provide an
effective remedy for human rights and environmental defenders; Comisión
Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos A.C. (Mexican
Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights A.C, 15 regarding the
broad discretion of the Mexican Public Prosecutor’s Office to conduct a preliminary
inquiry; Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (Mexican Center for Environmental
Law) (CEMDA) and Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Medio Ambiente
(Inter-American Association for Environmental Defense) (AIDA), 16 on the
importance of environmental defenders in Mexico, the attacks they have suffered
8
Cf. Case of Cabrera García and Montiel Flores v. Mexico. Order of the President of the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights of July 2, 2010.
9
The brief was filed on March 15, 2010 by James L. Cavallaro, Virginia Corrigan, Alexia De
Vincentis, Kathleen Gibbons, Cecilia Cristina Naddeo and Charline Yim of the Human Rights Clinic of the
Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School.
10
The brief was filed on July 5, 2010 by Emily Johnson on behalf of the Human Rights Clinic at
the University of Texas.
11
The brief was filed on August 3, 2010 by Gustavo Fondevilla on behalf of the Centro de
Investigación y Docencia Económicas (Economic Research and Teaching Center) (CIDE).
12
The brief was filed on September 30, 2010 by Mark Thomson, Secretary of the Asociación para
la Prevención de la Tortura (Association for Torture Prevention).
13
The brief was filed on September 24, 2010 by Miguel Sarre Iguíniz, professor at the Instituto
Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico (Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico) (ITAM).
14
The brief was filed on September 13, 2010 by Luis Miguel Cano López, Director of Clínica de
Derechos Humanos de la Escuela Libre de Derecho (Human Rights Clinic at the Free Law School).
15
The brief was filed on September 10, 2010 by Humberto F. Guerrero Rosales, Juan Carlos
Gutierrez, Nancy J. Lopez Pérez, Lucia Chavez Vargas and Ulises Quero García on behalf of the Comisión
Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos A.C. (Mexican Commission for the Defense
and Promotion of Human Rights A.C).
16
The brief was filed on September 10, 2010 by Samantha Namnum García, Regional Director of
the Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (Mexican Center for Environmental Law) (CEMDA); Astrid
Puentes Riaño, Executive Co-Director of Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Medio Ambiente
(Inter-American Association for Environmental Defense) (AIDA); Jacob Kopas, Legal Advisor of AIDA;
and Juan Carlos Arjona Estévez, Coordinator of CEMDA’s Human Rights and Environment Program.
6