Human rights body urges El Salvador's government to lift year-long suspension of constitutional rights

San Salvador: On Thursday, a regional human rights group urged El Salvador’s government to lift a year-long suspension of constitutional rights imposed as part of a massive anti-gang campaign undertaken last year and credited with substantially decreasing violent crime. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), a branch of the Washington-based Organization of American States, issued a statement urging President Nayib Bukele and his congressional supporters to restore rights suspended under the so-called state of exception. The emergency powers enable police to arrest and imprison suspected gang members quickly while suspending their right to counsel and judicial permission for preliminary detention. The policy, repeatedly extended by lawmakers allied to Bukele, also allows for warrantless access to suspects’ communications as well as extended pre-trial detention. “IACHR calls on the government of El Salvador to restore the full validity of the rights and guarantees suspended during the last 12 months within the framework of the emergency regime,” the body said in a statement. The president’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Since last year, Bukele’s crime-fighting initiative has led to the jailing of more than 66,000 suspected gang members, part of an unprecedented assault on the violent Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 gangs, among others, that for decades have terrorized the Central American nation of around 6 million. The state of exception followed the murders, blamed on gangs, of nearly 90 people over a single weekend in March 2022. The broadly popular security policy of Bukele, who has said he will run for reelection next year, has coincided with a dramatic reduction in murders and extortion rackets, according to official data. Read all the Latest News, Trending News,  Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.