They denounced the Salvadoran state before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for violation of judicial independence

A group of Salvadoran judges and magistrates on Friday denounced the Salvadoran state before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) for “violation of judicial independence” for a legal reform which stops the sixty-year-old judges.

The complaint was filed through the lawyers of the humanitarian organization Cristosal for “violating the rights to equality and non-discrimination of persons over 60 years of age” or having 30 years of service, judge Antonio Durán told reporters.

He also pointed out that the said reform of the law on judicial career It imposes a system of availability which “violates the stability of employment”.

Added that They asked the IACHR to ask the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) to order provisional measures so that “the validity of this reform is suspended”.

Revealed that the plenary session of the Supreme Court of Justice supported the application of the measure with 9 votes from 15 magistrates and the granting of a bonus to judges who decide to resign before the entry into force of the reform.

President Nayib Bukele signed and published the initiative in the Official Journal, as it happened this Friday.

The reform of the law on the judicial career was published in the September 14 edition of the Official Journal and This is the last step for me to go into effect and finalize the impeachment of the judges.

To concern defended the measure on September 15 during his bicentennial speech of independence of Central America vis-à-vis Spain and accused, without presenting any evidence, these judges of corrupt practices.

United States, through his charge d’affaires in El Salvador, Jean Manes, condemned the decision of the Legislative Assembly and he warned that the country faces a “decline in democracy” which “damages bilateral relations”.

Members of the ruling party New Ideas promoted the reform as a measure to clean up the judicial system and fight against corruption, But the text of the decree does not mention the alleged corrupt practices and only indicates that it is a question of “modernizing” the law.

In the same publication of the Official Journal a similar reform has been published which puts an end to prosecutors over 60.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Diego García-Sayán, recently called on the international community to take action against the “dismantling of the judicial system” in El Salvador by President Bukele and the Legislative Assembly.

(With information from EFE)

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