SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights urged the El Salvadoran government to take protective measures for three Salvadoran men who were recently deported from the United States. In a decision published on Tuesday, the commission highlighted the men’s inability to communicate with their lawyers or families since their arrival in El Salvador.
William Alexander Martínez Ruano, 21, and José Osmín Santos Robles, 41, are currently held in a prison in Santa Ana. The third individual, Brandon Bladimir Sigarán Cruz, 22, is reportedly an active member of the Mara Salvatrucha gang and has been detained in the country's new gang prison since March 2023.
This situation represents a widespread issue affecting nearly 90,000 individuals arrested under the emergency powers enacted by President Nayib Bukele in March 2022. These powers were intended to tackle the nation’s growing gang violence, yet they have led to severe human rights concerns.
Relatives and legal representatives of the detained men have filed habeas corpus petitions in El Salvador. Furthermore, the nongovernmental organization Coalition for Human Rights and Democracy has requested protective measures from the Inter-American Commission. The commission agreed to the request due to what it termed a “serious risk to their rights to live and personal well-being,” emphasizing the necessity of such protections to prevent irreparable harm.
While El Salvador's government responded to the commission regarding the status of the detained men, it failed to deny that the individuals were being held without communication, despite a specific request for information regarding their ability to receive visits from relatives or legal counsel. The government is expected to comply with the commission's directives and provide further updates, but it has shown no willingness to meet these demands thus far.
The commission had previously granted protective measures to two Salvadoran lawyers, Ruth López and Enrique Anaya, in September 2023. Both lawyers are known critics of the government and were arrested without access to communication.
Lawyer Jayme Magaña, associated with the Wings for Freedom movement, indicated that individuals detained under the ongoing state of emergency lack communication with their families and legal advisers. He noted that this situation has been a consistent issue since the state of emergency began in March 2022.
In its communication with the commission, El Salvador's government suggested that the commission should be cautious about being exploited by individuals with criminal backgrounds. Earlier this year, the Trump administration sent over 250 Venezuelan men, alleged to have connections with the Tren de Aragua gang, to El Salvador for imprisonment. Later, in July, these individuals were returned to Venezuela in exchange for the release of ten Americans detained there.
As the human rights situation continues to unfold in El Salvador, the commission’s involvement underscores the ongoing struggle for justice and the protection of fundamental rights amidst a backdrop of state-led repression and emergency measures targeting alleged gang members.
