The Inter-American Human Rights Court on June 28 and 29 held at its headquarters in San José, Costa Rica, a public hearing in the case of González Medina and next of kin v. Dominican Republic, in which were heard “the statements of one of the alleged victims, two eye-witnesses, one proposed by the representatives of the alleged victims and the other proposed, ex oficio, by the Court, and an expert proposed by the Inter-American Commission and the representatives of the alleged victims,” the Court reported in a press release.

The Court also heard the final arguments of the representatives of the alleged victims and the Dominican Republic, as well as final comments of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) regarding the disappearance of Dominican journalist Narciso González Medina. The lawsuit filed against the Dominican Republic was presented by the IACHR to the Court on May 2, 2010.

Gonzalez Medina, a university professor, columnist and opposition leader, disappeared on May 26, 1994, in apparent reprisal for criticism of the military and then President Joaquín Balaguer, as well as his participation in a public denouncement of alleged electoral fraud in the 1994 presidential elections.

To date his whereabouts remain unknown and it is believed that serious, diligent and effective investigations have not been carried out to determine the facts, identify those responsible and bring about due punishment.