A report presented before the IACHR warns that abuses during El Salvador’s state of exception could constitute crimes against humanity.
Experts say abuses under Bukele’s state of exception may amount to crimes against humanity.
A report presented before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) warns that human rights violations committed during El Salvador’s state of exception could constitute crimes against humanity under international law.
The document was prepared by the International Group of Experts for the Investigation of Human Rights Violations in the Context of the State of Exception in El Salvador (GIPES) and presented during a public hearing of the IACHR in Guatemala.
According to the report released Tuesday, the state of exception imposed by President Nayib Bukele since March 2022, with the support of a Congress controlled by the ruling Nuevas Ideas (NI) party, has enabled practices that may violate international legal standards.
Text Reads: Situation of #PersonasDefensors of #HumanDerechos in the context of the regime of exception. Organizations warn a boss of restrictions and criminal prosecution against defending persons, as well as limitations on defense work generated by the application of the Law of Foreign Agents. They reported that the security model generates violations of human rights that could constitute crimes against humanity (…)
“The report concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that, within the framework of the state of exception, crimes against humanity are being committed in accordance with Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC),” the document states.
The report also indicates that documented cases suggest a pattern of conduct involving police and military forces.
“The documented cases indicate the existence of a policy of police and military conduct, known and promoted even by the highest authorities of the government of President Nayib Bukele,” the text notes.
During the hearing, Leonor Arteaga of the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF), a Washington-based organization, said the narrative surrounding El Salvador’s security policies has often focused on crime reduction while overlooking their consequences.
“El Salvador has been presented as an example of success in reducing crime. However, victims, civil society organizations and journalists have experienced firsthand the high costs of this publicized success,” Arteaga said.
She added that multiple serious violations have been documented under the emergency policy.
“Arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, massive violations of due process and acts of torture have become systematic practices in the country. Today many Salvadorans have stopped fearing gangs only to begin fearing the state itself,” Arteaga stated.
The report was discussed as part of the IACHR’s review of the human rights situation in El Salvador during the ongoing state of exception, which the government introduced in March 2022 as part of its strategy to combat criminal gangs.
Author: MK
Source: Agencies
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