El Salvador: At least 153 died in custody in Bukele govt's war on gangs; ex-prez Funes jailed for 14 yrs

At least 153 people have died in custody in El Salvador after they were arrested as part of the government's controversial crackdown on gangs. According to a report by the human rights group Cristosal on Monday (May 29), dozens of prisoners were tortured and killed in jail after being caught up in the year-long security crackdown. None of those who died were convicted of a crime they were accused of at the time of their arrest, the news agency Associated Press reported. There were four women among the victims and the rest were men.

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The report by Cristosal said the deaths were the result of torture, and systematic and serious injuries, adding nearly half of the victims suffered violent deaths.

'A deliberate denial of medical assistance'

Cristosal said on Monday that some of the deaths showed signs they resulted from a deliberate denial of medical assistance, medicine and food, including some deaths due to malnutrition. The deaths also revealed punitive policies carried out by guards and prison officials and said such actions would have required authorisation and backing by the highest-level security officials.

The human rights group said it had compiled the information through fieldwork, and collecting documents from medical examiners. The investigators interviewed the victims' families and neighbours, and others who were jailed and released.

'Free the innocent': Cristosal to President Nayib Bukele

Cristosal called on the administration of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele to answer about the conditions that these prisoners were held under, respect due process, free those who are innocent, answer for those who died, provide all available information to the families of the victims and end the measures implemented under the special powers.

Noah Bullock, the group's director, said the findings pointed out how human rights violations were a systematic practice rather than an exception under the ruling government.

The Bukele government has arrested over 68,000 people under the special powers since March last year. And over 5,000 people were freed as they could not convince a judge that they were tied to criminal structures.

Ex-president Funes sentenced to 14 years in prison

In other news from El Salvador, a court sentenced former president Mauricio Funes and his justice minister David Munguia behind bars for their ties to criminal groups and failure to comply with duties. Funes, who was president from 2009-2014, was sentenced to 14 years in prison while Munguia for 18.

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado said, "We were able to verify that these two former officials, who had the obligation to protect Salvadorans, negotiated their lives in exchange for electoral favours, acting as gang members."

(With inputs from agencies)

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