“I had to write down the names of those who left in black bags”

On July 17, 2024, an unprecedented complaint was filed with the Attorney General’s Office of El Salvador: A citizen, Fidel Antonio Zavala Pérez, sued the director-general of the Bureau of Prisons, Osiris Luna, and the directors of the prisons located in Cutumay Camones in Santa Ana and Mariona for a string of crimes: arbitrary acts, breach of duties, bribery, and torture. Zavala was declared innocent after spending 13 months in prison. In this interview subtitled in English, he says he witnessed multiple murders at the hands of prison guards and that he is willing to face off with them in court.