Human Rights Watch says El Salvador's mass trials breach due process for hundreds

Human Rights Watch released a report documenting systemic violations in El Salvador’s mass-trial framework, which permits hundreds of individuals to be tried and sentenced together. The analysis covered four indictments totaling more than 600 defendants and a single proceeding that resulted in convictions for over 120 people, highlighting vague legal definitions, scant evidence, and restrictions on lawyers’ access to case files and private client communication.

Defense attorneys interviewed said their clients were denied the ability to mount effective defenses, with many convictions based solely on statements from anonymous, immunity-granted witnesses. These trials are central to President Nayib Bukele’s aggressive security campaign that began after a March 2022 state of emergency, leading to over 93,000 detainees, including thousands of children, and an incarceration rate of about 2 % of the population.

While the government maintains the measures are essential to dismantle gangs, HRW urges independent case reviews and the release of those lacking credible evidence. Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado recently defended a trial of nearly 500 alleged MS-13 members, stressing the gang’s threat to Salvadoran families.