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Amnesty International accuses El Salvador authorities of human rights violations amid yearlong anti-gang crackdown – JURIST

Amnesty International reported Monday that authorities in El Salvador are “systematically committing human rights violations” as a result of the country’s aggressive new anti-gang policies. The crackdown, which began in March 2022, has resulted in the detention of 66,000 people as well as 132 deaths in state custody.The Salvadoran government has been accused of not adopting sufficient measures to prevent human rights violations amid the large scale anti-gang efforts. Erika Guevara-Rosas, the Americas director at Amnesty international, expressed concern that the government is “weaponizing the criminal justice system to punish people.”According to Amnesty, El Salvador’s prison population is over 100,000, more than 1.5 percent of the country’s population. The organization claims that ever since Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele declared a state of emergency to combat gangs in March 2022, instances arbitrary detention have increased, and mass criminal prosecutions have taken place. Amnesty also says that El Salvador’s state of emergency has produced other violations, such as prison overcrowding.Marta Hurtado, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, asserted that El Salvador must abide by international human rights law while carrying out its anti-gang enforcement. She acknowledged the challenges the country has faced due to increased gang violence, but she also highlighted human rights violations including “prolonged solitary confinement” and the mistreatment of inmates with chronic diseases. She also relayed that El Salvador’s national human rights institute has received 7,900 human rights complaints from Salvadoran prisoners.Human Rights Watch reported in December 2022 that violence peaked after the killing of 92 citizens, allegedly by gangs. Bukele’s subsequent state of emergency allowed authorities to make arrests without warrants and monitor communication.In 2022 the US Department of State acknowledged reported increase in “torture, cruel and inhumane treatment“ by Salvadoran authorities.