Venezuelan migrants deported by the US ended up in a Salvadoran prison. This is their legal status

Venezuelan migrants deported by the US ended up in a Salvadoran prison. This is their legal status
The US government used an 18th-century wartime law to deport more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador, where they were immediately transferred to the country's maximum-security gang prison. (AP/File)
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Updated 25 March 2025
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Venezuelan migrants deported by the US ended up in a Salvadoran prison. This is their legal status

Venezuelan migrants deported by the US ended up in a Salvadoran prison. This is their legal status
  • El Salvador hasn’t had diplomatic relations with Venezuela since 2019
  • So the Venezuelans imprisoned there do not have any consular support from their government either

SAN SALVADOR: The US government used an 18th-century wartime law to deport more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador, where they were immediately transferred to the country’s maximum-security gang prison.

And while a federal judge in Washington tries to determine whether the US government defied his order to return the migrants while they were in the air and insists that they must get an opportunity to challenge their designations as alleged members of a notorious gang, there has been no word from El Salvador’s president or judiciary about what the prisoners’ legal status is in that country.

That may change soon. On Monday, lawyers hired by the Venezuelan government took legal action on behalf of the Venezuelan prisoners seeking their release from the prison, which US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is scheduled to visit Wednesday.

The US says the Venezuelans were members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a criminal organization that US President Donald Trump declared an invading force, but has provided no evidence of their alleged membership. The Alien Enemies Act allows noncitizens to be deported without the opportunity to go before an immigration or federal court judge.

El Salvador hasn’t had diplomatic relations with Venezuela since 2019, so the Venezuelans imprisoned there do not have any consular support from their government either.

Even Salvadoran citizens have been living under a state of emergency that has suspended fundamental rights since 2022 and the country’s judiciary is not considered independent. All of which raises questions about the prisoners’ legal future in El Salvador.

What has El Salvador’s government said about the prisoners’ status in the country?

Nothing.

President Nayib Bukele announced Sunday that the United States had sent what he called “238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua” to El Salvador and they were immediately sent to its maximum security gang prison. The US government would pay an annual fee for their incarceration, Bukele wrote in a post on X.

El Salvador’s Attorney General’s Office and Presidential Commissioner for Human Rights and Freedom of Expression did not respond to requests for comment about the status of the Venezuelan prisoners.

What do El Salvador’s laws say about the status of these prisoners?

Lawyer David Morales, legal director for the nongovernmental organization Cristosal, said there was no legal basis for the Venezuelans’ imprisonment in El Salvador. He said he knew of no Salvadoran law or international treaty that would support their imprisonment.

“They are illegal detentions because they haven’t been submitted to the jurisdiction of a Salvadoran judge, nor have they been prosecuted or convicted in El Salvador,” he said. As such, their imprisonment here is “arbitrary.”

He said El Salvador’s prosecutor’s office for human rights would have the authority to intervene, because it has a broad mandate when it comes to prisoners, “but we already know that it’s not playing its role because it is dominated, subjected to political power.”

What are lawyers doing?

Lawyers hired by the Venezuelan government filed a legal action Monday in El Salvador aimed at freeing 238 Venezuelans deported by the United States who are being held in a Salvadoran maximum-security prison.

Jaime Ortega, who says he represents 30 of the imprisoned Venezuelans, said his firm filed the habeas corpus petition with the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber. He said that by extension they requested that it be applied to all Venezuelans detained in El Salvador.

Before it was filed, constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya had suggested human rights organizations and the prisoners’ families should file habeas corpus petitions, essentially compelling the government to prove someone’s detention was justified “as a mechanism to denounce (the situation) as well as to pressure” the government.

Still, Anaya said the lack of judicial independence in El Salvador made success unlikely. Bukele’s party removed the justices of the Supreme Court’s Constitutional chamber in 2021 and replaced them with judges seen as more amenable to the administration.

“Who is going to decide these people’s freedom, US judges, Salvadoran judges?” Anaya asked. The habeas corpus petitions could at least “show the illegitimacy of this vacuum.”

How hard is it for Salvadorans to get out of prisons there?

El Salvador has lived under a state of emergency since March 2022, when Congress granted Bukele extraordinary powers to fight the country’s powerful street gangs.

Since then, some 84,000 people have been arrested, accused of gang ties. The state of emergency has allowed authorities to act without basic protections like access to a lawyer or even being told why they’re being arrested. They can be held for 15 days without seeing a judge.

Homicides have plummeted in El Salvador and the improved security has fueled Bukele’s popularity.

But while Bukele has said some 8,000 of those arrested have been freed for lack of evidence, many more have found no way out.

Last year, the Due Process Foundation published a report showing that the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court had “systematically” rejected more than 6,000 habeas corpus petitions made by families of people arrested under the state of emergency.


Witkoff to meet with Russian leadership in Moscow on Wednesday, source says

Witkoff to meet with Russian leadership in Moscow on Wednesday, source says
Updated 05 August 2025
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Witkoff to meet with Russian leadership in Moscow on Wednesday, source says

Witkoff to meet with Russian leadership in Moscow on Wednesday, source says
  • Officials in Washington provided few details of Witkoff’s schedule
  • “Witkoff will be traveling to Russia this week,” Bruce said

WASHINGTON: US special envoy Steve Witkoff will be in Moscow on Wednesday to meet with Russian leadership, a source familiar with the plan said on Tuesday.

Officials in Washington provided few details of Witkoff’s schedule.

“The president has noted, of course, that Special Envoy Witkoff will be traveling to Russia this week, so we can confirm that from this podium,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters.

“What that will entail, I have no details for you.”

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, quoting aviation sources, said an aircraft believed to have Witkoff on board, had already left the United States.

US President Donald Trump, who has signaled frustration with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in recent weeks, has given him until this Friday to make progress toward peace in Ukraine or face tougher sanctions.


Cameroon court rejects opposition leader’s presidential candidacy: lawyer

Cameroon court rejects opposition leader’s presidential candidacy: lawyer
Updated 05 August 2025
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Cameroon court rejects opposition leader’s presidential candidacy: lawyer

Cameroon court rejects opposition leader’s presidential candidacy: lawyer
  • The Constitutional Council ruled that the candidacy of Maurice Kamto, a high-profile critic of the longtime president, “cannot be valid”
  • Biya, 92, has been in power since 1982 and is seeking an eighth term in office in the October 12 contest

YAOUNDE: Cameroon’s constitutional court on Tuesday rejected the candidacy of President Paul Biya’s main opponent in October’s presidential election, the contender’s lawyer said.

The Constitutional Council ruled that the candidacy of Maurice Kamto, a high-profile critic of the longtime president, “cannot be valid and the immediate consequence is that he will not participate in the presidential race,” Hippolyte Meli Tiakouang told reporters after the hearing.

Biya, 92, has been in power since 1982 and is seeking an eighth term in office in the October 12 contest.

Kamto, 71, who resigned from the MRC at the end of June, came second to Biya in the 2018 presidential election.

He sought to run this time as the candidate for the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) and had officially submitted his candidacy last month.

In the 2018 election, Kamto stood for the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) but under the electoral code, parties wanting to run in the presidential election must have MPs in parliament or deputies in municipal councils.

The MRC boycotted the last legislative and municipal elections in 2020.

Constitutional Council president Clement Atangana ruled Kamto’s appeals were admissible for the court to hear but then judged them “unfounded.”

Another MANIDEM candidate submitted his candidacy, but that was also rejected.

After the ruling, Kamto did not comment.

MANIDEM president Anicet Ekane called it “a political decision. We take note of it.

“For the time being, we will not make a statement. We are reflecting on the decision and will decide,” said Ekane.

No media outlet was authorized to broadcast the Constitutional Council’s debates and decisions live.

The ministry of territorial administration announced the arrest of several people accused of disturbing public order near its premises.

Cameroon’s opposition is struggling to challenge the Biya administration.

On Saturday, a group of representatives from several parties published a statement in which they committed “to the choice of a consensus candidate around a common program” without any name being put forward.

In the run-up to Kamto’s exclusion, Human Rights Watch had warned that not allowing him to stand would raise concerns about the credibility of the electoral process.

“Excluding the most popular opponent from the electoral process will leave a shadow over whatever results are eventually announced,” warned Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Africa researcher at HRW.

The NGO warned that the move reflected “the government’s long-standing intolerance of any opposition and dissent, and comes amid increased repression of opponents, activists, and lawyers since mid-2024.”

So far, Cameroon’s Election Commission has approved 13 out of 83 prospective candidates,including Biya and former government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary.


German hesitation on Gaza could encourage atrocities, Israeli academics say

German hesitation on Gaza could encourage atrocities, Israeli academics say
Updated 05 August 2025
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German hesitation on Gaza could encourage atrocities, Israeli academics say

German hesitation on Gaza could encourage atrocities, Israeli academics say
  • The letter was addressed to senior Social Democrat lawmakers Rolf Muetzenich and Adis Ahmetovic
  • The two MPs have called for Germany to impose sanctions against Israel and a suspension of weapons deliveries

BERLIN: More than 100 Israeli academics have warned in a letter that a failure by Germany to put pressure on Israel could lead to new atrocities in Gaza.

“Further hesitation on Germany’s part threatens to enable new atrocities — and undermines the lessons learnt from its own history,” the academics wrote in the letter, addressed to senior Social Democrat (SPD) lawmakers Rolf Muetzenich and Adis Ahmetovic and seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

On July 22, the two men, whose party is in the ruling coalition, had called for Germany to join an international coalition pushing for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, sanctions against Israel and a suspension of weapons deliveries.

The German government — comprising the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the SPD — has sharpened its criticism of Israel over the manmade humanitarian catastrophe visited on Gaza’s 2 million people, but has yet to announce any major policy change.

Israel denies having a policy of starvation in Gaza, and says the Hamas militant group, responsible for an operation that killed 1,200 people in Israel in October 2023 and took hundreds more hostage, could end the crisis by surrendering.

Critics argue that Germany’s response to the war has been overly cautious, mostly owing to an enduring sense of guilt for the Nazi Holocaust, weakening the West’s collective ability to put pressure on Israel.

“If over 100 Israeli academics are calling for an immediate change of course ... then it’s high time we took visible action,” Ahmetovic told the public broadcaster ARD.

Britain, Canada and France have signalled their readiness to recognize a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territory at the United Nations General Assembly this September.


Govt urged to bring relatives of Afghans to UK after data breach

Govt urged to bring relatives of Afghans to UK after data breach
Updated 05 August 2025
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Govt urged to bring relatives of Afghans to UK after data breach

Govt urged to bring relatives of Afghans to UK after data breach
  • Charities ask home secretary to ‘prevent the worst possible consequences … becoming a dire reality’
  • Thousands of Afghans who helped Britain remain in their country despite their information being leaked in 2022

LONDON: A group of more than 50 charities and lawyers has urged the UK government to let Afghans granted asylum bring their families with them after their identities were revealed in a data breach.

The leak in February 2022 saw the details of more than 100,000 Afghans who worked with the British accidentally shared online by a Ministry of Defence employee.

They included people who had worked as interpreters for the British Army, and others who applied for asylum under the UK’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

The leak was hidden by the government through a legal mechanism called a superinjunction, making reporting it in the press illegal. The superinjunction was lifted by a court last month.

ARAP and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme do not allow applicants to sponsor relatives to come to the UK.

The group of charities, including Asylum Aid and modern slavery charity Kalayaan, wrote to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper asking her “to prevent the worst possible consequences of the data leak becoming a dire reality” and help take the relatives of those whose identities were leaked out of Afghanistan.

“The UK government has a moral responsibility to the Afghan people who continue to suffer, including now as a result of the data leak and have no choice but to seek safety elsewhere.

“The 2022 data breach directly exposed Afghans still in the country to a risk of reprisals they were not even aware of, and the High Court, in lifting the superinjunction, recognised that its imposition may have increased the risks these people face.”

The signatories added: “Poor decision-making could yet again have exposed Afghans to serious harm, with many of these people having clear UK family ties.”

They said: “It is essential that those who were resettled under ARAP and ACRS are able to live in safety and are given a fair opportunity to reunite with their families.”

Some routes are open to resettled Afghans to reunite in the UK with relatives, but the signatories said these involve “extremely costly application fees and require copious, specific documentation.”

Wendy Chamberlain MP, the Liberal Democrat chair of the all-parliamentary group for Afghan women, told The Independent: “There is already anecdotal evidence of reprisals on family members by the Taliban — the Home Office has no time to waste if the government wants to prevent the worst possible consequences of the data leak becoming a dire reality.

“The Home Office desperately needs to take a pragmatic and compassionate approach to allowing Afghans resettled in the UK to be reunited safely with their families.

“It is clear that these schemes have been seriously mis-handled, culminating in the recent exposure of the 2022 data leak.”

James Tullett, CEO of the charity Ramfel, said: “The government has acknowledged that the people they have resettled need protection, and yet this offer of support comes with the heavy price of separation from family.

“Allowing Afghan families to reunite won’t solve all the problems associated with the data leak, but it will make a monumental difference for the affected families.”


Thousands gather in Dhaka as Bangladesh marks a year after Hasina’s ouster

Thousands gather in Dhaka as Bangladesh marks a year after Hasina’s ouster
Updated 05 August 2025
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Thousands gather in Dhaka as Bangladesh marks a year after Hasina’s ouster

Thousands gather in Dhaka as Bangladesh marks a year after Hasina’s ouster
  • People can ‘speak freely’ since Hasina was removed from power, analysts say
  • Interim government plans to hold elections between February and April 2026

DHAKA: Thousands of Bangladeshis gathered in the capital of Dhaka on Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of the student-led uprising that ousted long-serving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

Hasina was removed from power on Aug. 5, 2024, when demonstrators defied a nationwide curfew and stormed her official residence, forcing her to flee to neighboring India, where she remained in exile. 

Her ouster came following weeks of protests that began in early July 2024. What started as peaceful demonstrations over a controversial quota system for government jobs morphed into a wider anti-government movement which was met with a violent crackdown against protesters by security forces that killed over 1,000 people, mostly students. 

The end of her 15 years in uninterrupted power brought the formation of an interim government led by Nobel Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who promised to restore stability and hold new elections after necessary reforms. 

“Together, we will build a Bangladesh where tyranny will never rise again,” Yunus said in a message to the nation on Tuesday, as crowds in the capital waved flags and used colored smoke to celebrate. 

A year on, Hasina now faces trial for crimes against humanity in absentia, while the prospect for a better and reformed Bangladesh remains a challenge. 

“There is already a high hope among the citizens of this country that the interim government could do much. But we have to consider the time frame. At the same time, we have to consider the reality on the ground,” Dr. ASM Amanullah, political analyst and Vice-Chancellor of the National University, told Arab News. 

Though progress on institutional reforms promised by the interim government has been slow and fragmented, the country has been recording signs of economic recovery after the burden left by the previous Awami League party-led government, which accumulated over $44 billion in foreign debt and oversaw widespread corruption plaguing the banking, infrastructure, energy and power sectors. 

“People’s hopes are valid … (But) the way the government handled the issue with 180 million people in the country is remarkable,” Amanullah said. 

The interim government “should move to hold a free and fair election early next year, as early as possible,” he added. 

Despite calls for early polls, the Yunus administration has delayed elections, which may now take place between February and April 2026. 

While uncertainty about the future of democracy still looms large in Bangladesh, the country has witnessed in this past year a greater freedom of expression among the public, which was largely absent under Hasina’s rule of extensive dissent suppression, electoral manipulation and restricted press freedom. 

“The people of Bangladesh can speak freely, can run freely, they can move freely without fear. There is no fear of extrajudicial killing. There is no fear of abduction,” Amanullah said. 

In a report published on July 30, New York-based Human Rights Watch said “some of the fear and repression” and “abuses such as widespread enforced disappearances” that marked Hasina’s rule “appear to have ended.” 

For Mahmudur Rahman, editor of Bengali-language daily Amar Desh, this was Bangladesh’s “biggest” achievement. 

“We can speak freely, The people can vent their anger. They can criticize the government without any fear of government persecution. And the media is free; media also can criticize the government,” he told Arab News. 

But priority must be placed on holding elections that “will be accepted by the people of Bangladesh” and the international community. 

“We should return to the democratic system … without any further delay,” Rahman said. “It’s better to let a political government take over and we’ll see where the country goes from there.”

Despite the myriad of unresolved issues, Bangladeshis believe that unity will be central to the future of their country. 

“Most important for the people of the country is to unite against fascism,” Rahman said. “They should uphold the spirit of the July Revolution and they should unite in a way that never again another fascist regime should come to power in any form.” 

Amanullah from Bangladesh’s National University echoed the sentiment. 

“At this moment, the most important thing for Bangladesh is to be united,” he said. “This should be the most priority concern for the country. If they remain united, Bangladesh will see a light at the end of the tunnel.”