April 2, 2026
Detention conditions in El Salvador remain under scrutiny amid ongoing emergency measures. foto: AP
At least 504 people have died in prisons under state custody in El Salvador between April 2022 and March 2026, according to a report by Socorro Jurídico Humanitario (SJH), raising concerns over the impact of the country’s prolonged “state of exception.”
The measure, in force since March 27, 2022, allows for the suspension of constitutional guarantees as part of the government’s security strategy. Four years after its implementation, civil society organizations and international bodies are warning of its human toll.
The SJH report states that 90 percent of those who died in custody did not fit profiles associated with gang membership, contradicting official claims that mass arrests target criminal groups. The organization added that, due to limited transparency, the actual number of deaths could reach up to 2,000.
Text Reads: As El Salvador marks four years under a state of exception, a report by Socorro Jurídico Humanitario reveals that at least 504 people have died in prisons, with 90% of the victims showing no signs of gang affiliation. Detention conditions are characterized by torture, overcrowding, and a lack of medical care. The UN has denounced possible crimes against humanity committed by the government of Nayib Bukele, which has maintained the anti-terrorism measure—reinterpreting the wave of violence in the country as justification for mass arrests. Despite a decline in homicides and strong public support, human rights defenders warn of growing repression and the dismantling of the rule of law.
Accounts collected from relatives describe bodies returned with visible signs of physical violence. The report links these deaths to broader allegations of abuse, including torture, extreme overcrowding, and lack of medical care in detention centers.
Earlier this month, a panel of experts from the United Nations accused the Salvadoran government of possible crimes against humanity related to the enforcement of the state of exception.
The policy was introduced following a surge in violence that left more than 80 people dead over a single weekend. Local journalistic investigations have suggested that the spike in killings followed the breakdown of a prior arrangement between the government and gang structures.
The government maintains that its security measures have led to a “historic” reduction in homicides and retains public support estimated at 85 percent. However, human rights defenders point out that declining crime trends were already recorded from 2016, before the current administration took office.
Text continues: This is the other side of El Salvador’s security model. No justice system in the world is perfect, but when prison authorities ignore a court order for release, the system isn’t imperfect—it’s broken.
Relatives of people captured under the state of emergency and who already have a letter of freedom have arrived today at the Public Prosecutor’s Office and together with @Unidehc they have presented notices so that the disobedience of the prisons to judicial orders can be investigated:
Humanitarian organizations report a total of 91,650 detentions under the state of exception, alongside 6,889 complaints of human rights violations. Of these, 98 percent involve arbitrary detention, and 75 percent reportedly implicate members of the National Civil Police.
“Four years of struggling to achieve justice and secure the release of innocent people, and we see no response. What we see from the government is total silence, attacks, and a regime that eliminates human rights and fundamental guarantees,” said Samuel Ramírez, representative of the Movement of Victims of the Regime.
The Legislative Assembly has approved 49 extensions of the measure, ensuring its continuation. Legal experts warn that the prolonged suspension of constitutional guarantees risks undermining the rule of law in the country.
Source: Telesur