El Salvador holds mass trial for 486 alleged members of notorious MS-13 gang

A Salvadoran court has commenced a mass trial involving 486 alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, including its leaders, marking one of the largest collective prosecutions in the country’s history. The defendants face charges linked to over 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, such as homicide, femicide, extortion, and arms trafficking. This trial is part of President Nayib Bukele’s aggressive crackdown on gang violence, conducted under a state of emergency that has been repeatedly extended since 2022. The mass trial reflects the government’s broader strategy to combat gang-related crime, which has seen over 91,500 arrests under emergency powers and the enactment of legislation permitting collective prosecutions. Prosecutors have presented extensive evidence, including autopsies, ballistic reports, and witness testimonies, and are seeking maximum sentences, with some defendants potentially facing up to 245 years in prison. The accused are detained in multiple prisons, including Cecot, a maximum-security facility opened in 2023 that symbolizes the government’s zero-tolerance approach to gangs. However, the mass trial has drawn significant criticism from human rights organizations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which argue that collective prosecutions undermine due process and restrict defendants’ access to legal counsel. The commission has expressed concern over the prolonged state of emergency, highlighting violations such as suspension of legal defense rights and extended administrative detention periods. These groups have called for an end to the use of emergency powers as a primary crime-fighting tool, warning that such measures risk eroding fundamental human rights protections. The trial also involves alleged gang leaders linked to a truce between the government and gangs during the presidency of Mauricio Funes from 2012 to 2014. Despite the controversy, the Bukele administration credits its crackdown with reducing the homicide rate significantly, from 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2022 to 1.3 in the following year, underscoring the government’s emphasis on security and public order amid ongoing challenges posed by gang violence.