The UN calls on the international community to act before the attack on El Salvador’s justice system by Nayib Bukele

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Diego García-Sayán, on Friday called on the international community to act against the “dismantling of justice” in El Salvador by President Nayib Bukele and the Legislative Assembly.

“I call on the international community to act and condemn the dismantling of Salvadoran justice by autocrats devoid of historical memory, which go beyond the international standards adopted by the United Nations, ”he posted on Twitter.

García-Sayán, former president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, said he was “appalled by the authoritarian measures promoted by President Bukele and the Legislative Assembly in which he has a majority ”.

“The last step is demolish the institutionality and independence of both the judiciary and the prosecution “added.

The signs are given a few days after the Legislative Assembly of the period 2021-2024, by a large pro-government majority voted, as a first step, the dismissal of the constitutional magistrates and the general prosecutor, with whom President Nayib Bukele has had clashes over the past year. He would have done it to “purify” the justice system.

The United States and Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the decision, that the judges concerned will seek to appeal to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

Since Bukele’s supporters took control of the El Salvador assembly in May, have taken drastic measures that appear to be aimed at destroying the independence of the Supreme Court and the Attorney General’s office“he said in a statement. José Miguel Vivanco, Director for the Americas of HRW.

The measure does not affect the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), among them former advisers and lawyers of senior officials.

A group of judges arrived at the CSJ on Thursday to request a hearing and that the plenary session of this body demand the repeal of the reforms, but they were not received by the magistrates.

The measure earned the state a lawsuit before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) by civil society organizations. Zaira Navas, representative of the humanitarian organization Cristosal, told a press conference that The IACHR is requested, once the corresponding analysis has been carried out, to condemn the Salvadoran State and to order reparation for the damage caused, reinstate in their functions the dismissed magistrates of the Constitutional Chamber.

In addition, it is requested that, if necessary, the case be referred to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (I / A Court HR). a maneuver by the ruling party to co-opt the Constitutional Chamber which had indicated, on several occasions, the unconstitutional action of the Executive, ”said a statement.

Several Salvadoran judges on Wednesday rejected the Legislative Assembly’s decree for failing to respect judicial independence. Judge José Alberto Franco read a statement from his peers in which this decision is described as “unconstitutional”.

They consider that the deputies “have no initiative of law concerning the judicial career” and they argue that “judicial independence is violated”.

The Salvadoran presidency assured that with Tuesday’s legislative decree “begins the process of purging the judicial system”, but the judges, on the other hand, consider that already “there are previously established institutional mechanisms that determine how to sanction or dismiss magistrates and judges”.

The lawyers anticipate that they will apply to national and international judicial bodies “for re-establish the constitutional and democratic state, a right seriously affected by the said decree ”.

May 1, The legislature dominated by the ruling party dismissed the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice and the Attorney General. He immediately appointed new officials.

(With information from EFE and AFP)

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