the Situation: State of ‍Exception and ⁢Penal Reforms

Amnesty International warns that the state of exception extended by the government ‍and⁣ reforms to the penal system have undermined the ⁣rule of law in El ​Salvador. This is due to the consolidation of a repressive apparatus that, instead ⁤of impartially delivering justice, is used as a weapon to​ criminalize human rights defenders and to silence critical voices, exposing them to a prison regime that threatens ​their personal integrity and their ⁤lives.

More than‌ three years after it began, the state of exception, which has already been extended 42 consecutive times, has established a model that gives the appearance of legality to mass detention without evidence, the ⁢suspension of judicial guarantees and the imposition of disproportionate terms of administrative detention.

At the same⁢ time, legal reforms in criminal matters and criminal procedure have introduced measures such ‍as ⁤the concealment of judges’ identity,‍ automatic request of pretrial​ detention and tougher‍ punishments for children‍ and adolescents. These reforms have been observed by regional and universal human rights⁢ bodies, who found that​ they contravene ⁤international standards.

Instead of impartially ‍delivering justice, the criminal justice system⁣ in El​ Salvador has become ⁢a ​weapon‍ to ‍punish dissent and stifle civic space.

Ana Piquer, Americas Director at​ Amnesty International.

The right to Defend Rights under‌ Attack

Amnesty International has documented how the authorities have made use of broad and ⁣ambiguous criminal classifications such as “illegal groups” or “terrorist organizations”,to criminalize community leaders,trade⁢ unionists and defenders of the‍ territory and the habitat.For their part, local organizations have identified ⁤more than 70⁣ cases of this type ⁣in which⁣ people have been victims of arbitrary detentions,‌ deprived of ‍their liberty and subjected to ⁤judicial processes ⁤without the guarantees of the rule of law.

In ⁣July‍ 2025, Amnesty International declared Ruth López,⁢ Alejandro Henríquez ⁢and José⁣ Ángel Pérez⁢ prisoners of conscience, determining that they were imprisoned exclusively for their work defending human rights and for ‍peacefully exercising their freedom of expression.

although neither the ⁢original decree of the state of ‌exception nor its extensions envisage its application to people accused of common crimes, ⁢in⁣ these three cases the organization was able to verify how the Public Prosecutor’s ‍Office and the judicial authorities applied the deadlines and suspension of procedural guarantees, despite the fact that the charges against them are not related to the actions ⁤of gangs.

Ruth, Alejandro and José Ángel were all ​subjected to the extension⁤ of⁤ administrative detention.

Impact of Reforms: A Data Overview

The following table illustrates the‍ increase ​in administrative detentions as the implementation of ‌the‍ state of