Amnesty International issued a stark warning on Thursday, claiming that El Salvador has been exploiting its penal justice system and recent legal reforms to suppress human rights advocates and muzzle dissenting opinions. This strategic misuse of law, the group argues, significantly erodes the rule of law within the nation.

Ana Piquer, the Americas Director at Amnesty International, criticized the Salvadoran criminal justice system for deviating from its role of impartial justice delivery. "Instead of serving justice, it has become a weapon against dissent, effectively choking the civic space," Piquer stated.

The report from Amnesty highlighted that the state of exception, initiated in March 2022 amidst rising gang violence, has been particularly abused. Authorities reportedly conducted mass arrests and imposed harsh administrative detentions, all under the veil of legality. Moreover, the reforms have introduced measures like concealing judges' identities, mandating pretrial detention, and extending harsher penalties to minors. These actions, according to Amnesty, breach international norms such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Amnesty International documented several instances where vague legal terms were used to criminalize activists and trade unionists. Notably, three human rights lawyers were prosecuted for their activism, suffering arbitrary detentions and facing trials devoid of essential procedural rights. The state of exception's broad application to these lawyers included suspending procedural guarantees typically preserved for accused persons.

Conditions within Salvadoran prisons also drew severe criticism from Amnesty, with reports of overcrowded cells, extended solitary confinement, lack of medical care, and risks of torture. These detentions have not only impacted the detainees but also their families, prompting Amnesty International to call for the immediate release of those detained solely on the basis of their human rights work.

This crackdown on human rights comes in the backdrop of a broader security policy under the state of emergency, initially aimed at curbing gang violence. However, this approach and the subsequent legal reforms have faced international condemnation for exacerbating human rights violations. Recent controversial laws, such as the detention of 12-year-olds in adult facilities and restrictions on organizations receiving foreign funds, have sparked further outcry against the Salvadoran government's methods. Critics argue that these measures, though claimed to protect sovereignty and improve security, are in fact leveraged to suppress political opposition.

As the situation unfolds, Amnesty International urges the international community to increase oversight and pressure on El Salvador to ensure justice and human rights are upheld, not used as tools for political coercion.