A Mass Trial of Alleged MS-13 Gang Members Wraps up in El Salvador
Prosecutors seek life terms and $9 million in damages after presenting audio recordings and allegations tying the defendants to 14,420 crimes.
- A three-month mass trial of 485 members of MS-13 concluded on Wednesday in El Salvador, with prosecutors requesting maximum sentences for involvement in 14,420 crimes, including 444 killings committed between 2012 and 2022.
- The trial utilizes a criminal code reform enacted in July 2023 allowing collective proceedings for detainees held under the state of emergency, which has imprisoned more than 92,480 people since its March 2022 imposition.
- Evidence presented by prosecutors included audio recordings allegedly capturing leaders ordering killings, while arguing MS-13 used about 1,200 children in criminal activities and exploited 638 women across 32 groups.
- Human rights organizations have registered more than 6,000 complaints of violations and documented at least 547 deaths in custody, arguing the proceedings infringe on defendants' rights under the Latin American country's state of emergency.
- Despite criticism, the state of emergency remains popular among Salvadorans, and President Nayib Bukele has stated that 8,000 innocent people have been released as the government focuses on improving security.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Los Angeles Times
Washington TimesA mass trial of MS-13 gang members in El Salvador wraps up
The proceedings against 485 members of the international criminal Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, gang on charges that include homicide, extortion, drugs, arms and human trafficking, have drawn criticism by human rights groups, which say they infringe on defendants’ rights.
The Sixth Court Against Organized Crime of San Salvador concluded Tuesday the first one-time open hearing against 400 alleged leaders of the...
International News: Mass trial of 485 alleged MS-13 members concludes in El Salvador
By Zoila Palma: A three-month mass trial involving 485 alleged members of the MS-13 gang concluded today in El Salvador, with prosecutors delivering their closing arguments and requesting the maximum possible sentences. The defendants face charges including homicide, extortion, drug trafficking, arms offenses, and human trafficking for crimes allegedly committed between 2012 and 2022, AP reports. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, th…
The Public Prosecutor's Office of El Salvador concluded its arguments in the trial against 485 leaders of MS-13 and demanded the maximum sentence. Regeneración, 15 […] The entry El Salvador: Mass Trial Against Mara Salvatrucha Concludes was first published on RegeneraciónMX.
After three months of hearings, the arguments of the parties in the trial against 485 gang leaders Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) charged with their alleged responsibility for 14,420 crimes were concluded, the Public Prosecutor's Office of El Salvador reported on Wednesday.
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