Source: Amnesty International –
Amnesty International warns that the state of exception extended by the government and reforms to the penal system have undermined the rule of law in El Salvador.
This is due to the consolidation of a repressive apparatus that, instead of impartially delivering justice, is used as a weapon to criminalize human rights defenders and to silence critical voices, exposing them to a prison regime that threatens their personal integrity and their lives.
More than three years after it began, the state of exception, which has already been extended 42 consecutive times, has established a model that gives the appearance of legality to mass detention without evidence, the suspension of judicial guarantees and the imposition of disproportionate terms of administrative detention.
At the same time, legal reforms in criminal matters and criminal procedure have introduced measures such as the concealment of judges’ identity, automatic application of pretrial detention and tougher punishments for children and adolescents. These reforms have been observed by regional and universal human rights bodies, who found that they contravene international standards.
“Instead of impartially delivering justice, the criminal justice system in El Salvador has become a weapon to punish dissent and stifle civic space. Defending human rights or protesting peacefully can cost you your freedom today”, said Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
Instead of impartially delivering justice, the criminal justice system in El Salvador has become a weapon to punish dissent and stifle civic space.
Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.