Salvadoran Courts Conclude Mass Video Trial of Five Hundred Alleged Transnational Gang Members Under Ongoing Emergency Powers
The judicial branch in El Salvador is finalizing a highly publicized mass trial prosecuting nearly five hundred individuals accused of organized crime affiliations, relying on emergency decree powers that have incarcerated roughly two percent of the national population. While local businesses and citizens report dramatically lower extortion rates, international legal observers warn that conducting aggregated video trials severely compromises due process and individualized legal representation.