Dozens of suspected gang members 'tortured to death' in El Salvador prisons

[Judi Lynn]

Tom Sanders
Wednesday 31 May 2023 12:38 pm

At least 153 prisoners in El Salvador have been tortured and killed since the country jailed tens of thousands in a crackdown on street gangs earlier this year.

A report from human rights group Cristosal lays bare the human cost of the country’s ‘war on gangs,’ which has seen dozens of people die in state custody after being imprisoned without trial.Four women were among those killed and the vast majority of the deaths were the result of torture, and systematic and serious injuries, the report said.

Nearly half of the victims suffered violent deaths, with their bodies showing signs of asphyxiation, fractures and lacerations. Others showed signs of malnutrition and deliberate denial of food, medicine and medical assistance. None of the people who died in prison had not been officially convicted of the crime they were accused of committing at the time of their arrest.

The deaths revealed punitive policies carried out by guards and prison officials. The report stated that such actions would have required authorization and backing by the highest level security officials.

More:
https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/31/153-suspected-gang-members-tortured-to-death-in-el-salvador-prisons-18873865/

[Chainfire]

1. Are the deaths caused by the jailers or the jailees?

Or both?