In El Salvador, a massive trial has begun against around 486 suspected members of the powerful Central American gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), including its leaders, according to prosecutors and courts.
Prosecutors say the defendants are accused of more than 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including murder, extortion, arms trafficking, and femicide, reports The Guardian.
The case is linked to the aggressive anti-gang campaign led by President Nayib Bukele, launched under a state of emergency declared in 2022.
According to authorities, many of the accused have been held in high-security prisons, while the trial is being conducted jointly against hundreds of individuals at once. The case is considered one of the largest in the country’s history.
Human rights organizations have raised concerns that mass trials may violate the right to legal defense and due process, as defendants may not have full individual access to legal representation.
Salvadoran authorities claim that these measures have helped drastically reduce the country’s homicide rate, although international criticism over human rights violations continues.
