Human rights organizations are reporting new evidence of torture and abuse inside El Salvador’s prisons, alleging that detainees have faced severe beatings, starvation, and inhumane conditions under the government’s anti-gang campaign.

Witnesses and advocacy groups warn that the mass incarceration strategy, which has led to the detention of more than 75,000 people, is violating international human rights standards.

The Salvadoran government has defended its policies as necessary to restore national security.