Mass trials without due process in El Salvador: ‘Judges are afraid. They’re convicting everyone’
Court records and testimony from defense attorneys show how prosecutors and the courts are securing convictions based on opaque police files, anonymous allegations and trials conducted behind closed doors
In El Salvador, a state of emergency imposed by President Nayib Bukele has led to "mass trials" aimed at convicting thousands of people arrested for alleged gang affiliations. Lawyers and defense attorneys report that judges in these proceedings are "afraid" and "convicting everyone," with little regard for due process. The government has sealed case files, making it nearly impossible for defense lawyers to verify the authenticity of the police files used to justify arrests.
Of the 1,226 defendants in four mass trials, 134 are charged with terrorist organization offenses and 1,092 with unlawful association. Prosecutors rely on three types of evidence: police files identifying defendants as gang members, testimony from arresting officers, and statements from protected witnesses—typically other gang members.
Defense lawyers claim they are systematically denied access to complete case files and face retaliation from witnesses due to fear of being labeled gang members themselves.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
