Five human rights organizations presented a report on deaths under state custody in El Salvador’s prisons during the state of exception to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz.
In the document, submitted on March 8, the organizations warn of alleged extrajudicial executions of people under state custody and the possible existence of clandestine graves in prisons.
The report is based on investigations by Cristosal and Human Rights Watch, which argue that state agents beat many of the deceased in detention centers during their detention or by other people deprived of their liberty. At the same time, some died due to a lack of access to medication for diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer, among others.
According to deaths documented by these two organizations, in some cases, people deprived of their liberty were transferred to hospitals when they had a crisis but died on the way to the hospital or upon arrival without being admitted or treated. “In other cases, even if medical attention is received, the health condition is so severe that they die within a few days of admission,” the document explains.
State silence
The organizations also pointed out the absence of investigation by the State into these deaths, the lack of clear information provided to the victim’s relatives, and the limitation on access to public information.
“The Salvadoran State still does not specify the number of people detained during the state of exception who have allegedly died under state custody, nor the causes of those deaths,” the document details.
Social organizations, on the other hand, through monitoring of testimonies published by the media and interviews with people who have left prisons, estimate that more than 200 people have died under state custody.
“According to information obtained from interviews conducted by Cristosal with people who have left prison with alternative measures to provisional detention, the number of people who died under state custody could be much higher: they estimate that only in the La Esperanza Penal Center (Mariona) 200 people would have died and that inside this and other centers, there would be clandestine graves,” the report states.
The complaint indicates that according to the testimony of relatives and the documentation carried out by the subscribing organizations, most of the bodies of the deceased handed over to the relatives showed signs of violence. However, the authorities claim these people died during transport or in a hospital.
Regarding possible extrajudicial executions, Ingrid Escobar, a representative of Humanitarian Legal Aid, has made complaints on several occasions through social networks. When asked, Escobar explained that people who had left prisons had told them about the lynchings by the guards towards the inmates when they entered the detention centers in the first months of the state of exception.
“The welcome at Izalco (penal) was to pass through a hallway where the guards beat them until they spit blood. Some did not survive. One of the people who left told us in the interview that he saw five people die in a single day,” she said.
A report presented by Humanitarian Legal Aid at the end of March revealed that out of 126 deaths in detention centers since the state of exception began, at least 31 died before completing their first month in prison.
Organizations warn UN about alleged clandestine graves in prisons
Possible extrajudicial executions, absence of investigation by the State into these deaths, lack of clear information provided to the victims’ relatives, and limited access to public information are some of the points highlighted in the report.
Five human rights organizations presented a report on deaths under state custody in El Salvador’s prisons during the state of exception to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz.
In the document, submitted on March 8, the organizations warn of alleged extrajudicial executions of people under state custody and the possible existence of clandestine graves in prisons.
The report is based on investigations by Cristosal and Human Rights Watch, which argue that state agents beat many of the deceased in detention centers during their detention or by other people deprived of their liberty. At the same time, some died due to a lack of access to medication for diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer, among others.
According to deaths documented by these two organizations, in some cases, people deprived of their liberty were transferred to hospitals when they had a crisis but died on the way to the hospital or upon arrival without being admitted or treated. “In other cases, even if medical attention is received, the health condition is so severe that they die within a few days of admission,” the document explains.
State silence
The organizations also pointed out the absence of investigation by the State into these deaths, the lack of clear information provided to the victim’s relatives, and the limitation on access to public information.
“The Salvadoran State still does not specify the number of people detained during the state of exception who have allegedly died under state custody, nor the causes of those deaths,” the document details.
Social organizations, on the other hand, through monitoring of testimonies published by the media and interviews with people who have left prisons, estimate that more than 200 people have died under state custody.
“According to information obtained from interviews conducted by Cristosal with people who have left prison with alternative measures to provisional detention, the number of people who died under state custody could be much higher: they estimate that only in the La Esperanza Penal Center (Mariona) 200 people would have died and that inside this and other centers, there would be clandestine graves,” the report states.
The complaint indicates that according to the testimony of relatives and the documentation carried out by the subscribing organizations, most of the bodies of the deceased handed over to the relatives showed signs of violence. However, the authorities claim that these people died during transport or inside a hospital.
Regarding possible extrajudicial executions, Ingrid Escobar, a representative of Humanitarian Legal Aid, has made complaints on several occasions through social networks. When asked, Escobar explained that people who had left prisons had told them about the lynchings by the guards towards the inmates when they entered the detention centers in the first months of the state of exception.
“The welcome at Izalco (penal) was to pass through a hallway where the guards beat them until they spit blood. Some did not survive. One of the people who left told us in the interview that he saw five people die in a single day,” she said.
A report presented by Humanitarian Legal Aid at the end of March revealed that out of 126 deaths in detention centers since the state of exception began, at least 31 died before completing their first month in prison.
One of the cases El Diario de Hoy documented is that of musician and farmer Elvin Josué Sánchez Rivera, 21, who was arrested on April 3. Still, only 15 days later, his relatives were notified of his death.
The young man died at Jorge Mazzini Hospital in Sonsonate after being transferred in critical condition from Izalco prison in a pickup truck.
The young man’s body was handed over to the family along with a document specifying the cause of death as “hypertension” and “sudden death.”
However, doubts about Elvin’s death led the family to examine their loved one’s body and discover that the young man had bruises on his back, probably due to a beating.
Regarding the alleged clandestine graves, the legal aid lawyer confirmed that in interviews conducted with people who have left prison under alternative measures, they also mention hearing guards talking among themselves about clandestine graves for cases with signs of violence.
Lack of investigation
The organizations denouncing the situation to the UN rapporteur claim that to date, the State has not initiated investigations into these deaths and does not provide credible information to relatives of the deceased about the cause of death, except for the “preliminary causes of death” records issued by the Institute of Legal Medicine (IML).
Celia Medrano, a human rights analyst, believes it is urgent to focus efforts on arranging an In Situ visit from United Nations (UN) mechanisms with authority to visit prisons in El Salvador and directly verify the reported facts. However, she recalled that these instances require an invitation or endorsement from the State for this type of visit.
“If the international community is truly committed to contributing to the cessation of homicides, extrajudicial executions, and areas of torture in Salvadoran prisons, efforts must focus on achieving concrete international verification from the UN on the complaints received,” she said.
Non-governmental entities have also documented deaths from conditions acquired in prisons, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and skin diseases. In the case of women, pneumonia, possible heart attack, and nasal carcinoma have been identified as causes of death.
In February this year, El Diario de Hoy documented the death of Noelia Elizabeth García, who died on February 1 at San Juan de Dios Hospital in Santa Ana while under state custody, seven months after being arrested. According to a document in the family’s possession, issued by Legal Medicine, the 42-year-old woman’s death was due to “septic shock caused by immunosuppression from a nasal carcinoma (cancer).”
Her relatives claimed the penitentiary authorities never notified them about her health condition. At the same time, she was detained at the Apanteos prison, and they were officially informed of her death. The family discovered that Noelia was sick when a close family friend, who had gone for a consultation, noticed that she was handcuffed in a wheelchair at the hospital on January 23.
On February 1, upon hearing rumors of the death of a person under custody at the Santa Ana hospital, her sisters went to ask about her. Still, all day long, they went from one institution to another until they were handed the body at Legal Medicine after eight o’clock at night.
In contrast, in October last year, Osiris Luna, director of Penal Centers, assured on a Channel 21 television program that people who had died in detention centers were sick and refused medical treatment.
“What kind of people are dying? Some have up to four morbidities and arrive with a series of very complicated diseases; on top of that, they don’t want to undergo chemotherapy,” said Luna.
Regarding the complaints by social organizations, Luna said at that time that they were addressing the cases before the corresponding instances. “So far, no death has been proven to be due to anything other than health issues,” Luna assured.
Lack of public information
The organizations also expressed their concern about the practice or policy of penitentiary authorities to deny all information about the status of detainees, both to their relatives and to the press and civil society organizations.
“The increase in opacity and the lack of accountability from penitentiary authorities is worrisome. With this government administration, there is little public information related to public policies, budget execution, and conditions related to persons deprived of their liberty,” the document states.
The General Directorate of Penal Centers (DGCP) declared all information related to persons deprived of their liberty confidential, such as the number of people in detention centers, installed capacity, the number of people who died in detention centers, and the number of rehabilitation programs, among others.
Similarly, the National Civil Police (PNC) has imposed a total reserve for seven years on statistical data or other information about persons detained in police cells.
The report presented to the UN is signed by Cristosal, the Human Rights Institute of the Central American University José Simeón Cañas (IDHUCA), the Due Process Foundation (DPLF), the Salvadoran Network of Human Rights Defenders, and the Passionist Social Service of the Passion Corporation (SSPAS).
Organizaciones advierten a ONU sobre presuntas fosas clandestinas en cárceles
Cinco organizaciones defensoras de los derechos humanos presentaron un informe sobre las muertes bajo custodia estatal en las prisiones de El Salvador, en el marco del estado de excepción, ante el relator especial de las Naciones Unidas sobre ejecuciones extrajudiciales, sumarias o arbitrarias, MorrisTidball-Binz.
En el documento, presentado el 8 de marzo pasado, las organizaciones advierten de presuntas ejecuciones extrajudiciales de personas bajo custodia del Estado y la posible existencia de fosas clandestinas en las prisiones.
El informe se respalda en investigaciones realizadas por Cristosal y Human Rights Watch que sostienen que muchas de las personas fallecidas en centros penales fueron golpeadas por agentes estatales durante su detención o por otras personas privadas de libertad, mientras que algunas murieron por falta de acceso a medicamentos para enfermedades como diabetes, presión arterial alta, cáncer, entre otras.
Según muertes documentadas por esas dos organizaciones en algunos casos, las personas privadas de libertad fueron trasladadas a centros hospitalarios cuando presentan una crisis, pero fallecieron en el trayecto al hospital o al llegar a los centros hospitalarios sin que sean ingresadas ni atendidas. “En otros casos, aunque se reciba la atención médica, la condición de salud es tan grave que mueren a los pocos días de su ingreso”, explica el documento.
Silencio estatal
Las organizaciones también señalaron la ausencia de investigación por parte del Estado sobre dichas muertes, la falta de información clara entregada a los familiares de la víctima y la limitación al acceso de información pública.
“El Estado salvadoreño sigue sin precisar la cifra de personas detenidas durante el estado de excepción que supuestamente han fallecido bajo custodia estatal, así como las causas de esas muertes”, detalla el documento.
Las organizaciones sociales por su parte, mediante monitoreo de testimonios publicados por medios de comunicación y entrevistas a personas que han salido de las prisiones, hacen un cálculo de más de 200 personas muertas bajo custodia del Estado.
“De acuerdo con información obtenida por entrevistas realizadas por Cristosal a personas que han salido de prisión con medidas sustitutivas a la detención provisional, el número de personas fallecidas bajo custodia estatal podría ser mucho mayor: calculan que sólo en el Centro Penal La Esperanza (Mariona) habrían muerto 200 personas, y que al interior de este y otros centros habrían fosas clandestinas, indica el informe.
La denuncia señala que según el testimonio de familiares y la documentación realizada por las organizaciones suscriptoras, la mayoría de los cuerpos de las personas fallecidas entregados a los familiares han presentado signos de violencia. Sin embargo, las autoridades indican que estas personas murieron durante el traslado o dentro de un centro hospitalario.
Sobre las posibles ejecuciones extrajudiciales, Ingrid Escobar, representante del Socorro Jurídico Humanitario, ha realizado denuncias en varias ocasiones a través de redes sociales. Al consultarle, Escobar explicó que personas que han salido de las prisiones les han narrado los linchamientos de parte de los custodios hacia los reos cuando ingresaban a los centros penales, en los primeros meses del régimen de excepción.
“La bienvenida en Izalco (penal) era pasar por un pasillo donde los custodios los golpeaban hasta dejarlos escupiendo sangre. Algunos no sobrevivían. Una de las personas que salió del nos relató en la entrevista que vio morir en un solo día a cinco personas”, expresó.
En un informe presentado por el Socorro a finales de marzo, reveló que de 126 muertes en centros penales desde que inició el régimen de excepción, al menos 31 murieron antes de cumplir el primer mes en prisión.
Uno de los casos documentados por El Diario de Hoy es del músico y agricultor Elvin Josué Sánchez Rivera, de 21 años, quien fue capturado el 3 de abril, pero solo 15 días después sus familiares fueron notificados de su deceso.
El joven murió en el Hospital Jorge Mazzini de Sonsonate después de que fuera trasladado en un pick up en condiciones graves desde el penal de Izalco.
El cadáver del joven fue entregado a la familia junto a un documento en el que se especifica que la causa del fallecimiento fue “hipertensión” y “muerte súbita”.
Sin embargo, las fuertes dudas sobre la muerte de Elvin llevaron a la familia a revisar el cuerpo de su ser querido y descubrieron que el joven tenía moretones en la espalda, probablemente producto de una golpiza.
Sobre la supuestas fosas clandestinas la abogada del Socorro confirmó que en las entrevistas realizadas a personas que han salido bajo medidas sustitutivas también mencionan que escucharon a los custodios hablar entre ellos de las fosas clandestinas, para aquellos casos que tengan signos de violencia.
Falta de investigación
Las organizaciones denunciantes ante el relator de la Onu aseguran que a la fecha, el Estado no ha iniciado investigaciones sobre dichas muertes y no da información creíble a familiares de las personas fallecidas sobre la causa del deceso, salvo las constancias de “causas preliminares de la muerte” que extiende el Instituto de Medicina Legal (IML).
Celia Medrano, analista especializada en Derechos Humanos, considera que es urgente focalizar esfuerzos para concretar una visita In Situ de mecanismos de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) con facultad de visitar cárceles en El Salvador y constatar directamente los hechos denunciados, aunque recordó que estas instancias requieren invitación o aval desde el Estado para este tipo de visita.
“Si en realidad la comunidad internacional esta comprometida en contribuir al cese de homicidios, ejecuciones extrajudiciales y ámbitos de tortura en las cárceles salvadoreñas, los esfuerzos deben focalizarse en lograr concretar una verificación internacional desde la ONU sobre las denuncias recibidas”, expresó.
Las entidades no gubernamentales también han documentado casos de muertes por padecimientos adquiridos en cárceles, tales como: Neumonías, tuberculosis, y enfermedades de la piel. En el caso de las mujeres se ha identificado como causa de muerte la neumonía, posible infarto al corazón y carcinoma nasal.
En febrero de este año, El Diario de Hoy documentó la muerte de Noelia Elizabeth García, quien murió el 1 de febrero en el hospital San Juan de Dios de Santa Ana, mientras permanecía bajo custodia del Estado, siete meses después de ser arrestada. Según consta en un documento, en poder de la familia, extendido en Medicina Legal, la muerte de la mujer de 42 años fue por un “choque séptico por una inmunosupresión causada por un carcinoma nasal (cáncer)”.
Sus familiares aseguraron que nunca fueron notificados por parte de las autoridades penitenciarias sobre su padecimiento de salud mientras permanecía recluida en el penal de Apanteos, ni les informaron oficialmente de su deceso. La familia supo que Noelia estaba enferma, cuando una persona cercana a la familia, que había ido a consulta, se percató que la tenían esposada en una silla de ruedas en el hospital, el pasado 23 de enero.
El 1 de febrero, ante el rumor de la muerte de una persona bajo custodia en el hospital de Santa Ana, sus hermanas fueron a preguntar por ella, pero durante todo el día, fueron de una institución a otra, hasta que pasadas las ocho de la noche les entregaron el cadáver en Medicina Legal.
En contraste, en octubre del año pasado, Osiris Luna, director de Centros Penales aseguró en un programa televisivo de canal 21 que las personas que habían muerto en centros penales era gente que estaba enferma y que se negaba a recibir tratamientos médicos.
“¿Qué tipo de personas está falleciendo? Hay unos que tienen hasta cuatro morbilidades y llegan con una serie de enfermedades bien complicadas y fuera de eso no quieren realizarse las quimios”, expresó Luna.
Sobre las denuncias por parte de las organizaciones sociales Luna, dijo en ese momento, que estaban ventilando los casos antes las instancias correspondientes. “Hasta este momento no se ha comprobado ninguna muerte que sea por otra índole que no sea el tema de salud”, aseguró en ese momento Luna.
Falta de información pública
Las organizaciones también expresaron su preocupación por la práctica o política de las autoridades penitenciarias de negar toda información sobre el estado de las personas detenidas, tanto a sus familiares, como a la prensa y organizaciones de sociedad civil.
“Preocupa el incremento de la opacidad y la falta de rendición de cuentas de las autoridades penitenciarias. Con esta administración gubernamental, existe poca información pública relacionada con las políticas públicas, ejecución presupuestaria y condiciones relacionadas con las personas privadas de libertad”, indica el documento.
La Dirección General de Centros Penales (DGCP) declaró reservada toda la información relacionada a personas privadas de libertad, tal como la cantidad de personas que albergan los centros penales, la capacidad instalada, la cantidad de personas fallecidas en centros penales, cantidad de programas de rehabilitación, entre otras.
Asimismo, la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) ha impuesto reserva total por siete años a datos estadísticos u otra información que se encuentre relacionada con las personas que guardan detención en las bartolinas policiales.
El informe presentado ante la ONU está suscrito por Cristosal, el Instituto de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (IDHUCA), la Fundación para el Debido Proceso (DPLF), Red Salvadoreña de Defensoras de Derechos Humanos y el Servicio Social Pasionista de la Corporación de la Pasión (SSPAS).