they reported that the main legal adviser to accused them of being part of the political the President's Office had threatened the opposition. media outlet GatoEncerrado to try to force it Spaces for regular and effective dialogue to reveal its sources for an investigation between government bodies and human related to the adviser. Meanwhile, in rights organizations to contribute to the November, it was reported that NSO Group’s design of public policies were closed or Pegasus spyware technology was used in El virtually non-existent. Salvador for the surveillance of journalists In May, a Legislative Assembly commission and civil society members. shelved the draft Law on the Comprehensive RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL Recognition and Protection of Human Rights Defenders and the Guarantee of the Right to In May, the new Legislative Assembly Defend Human Rights, presented to the removed the magistrates of the Constitutional Assembly several years earlier. Human rights Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice organizations warned that this could and the Attorney General of the Republic, an perpetuate the context of hostility faced by act considered by various sectors to be an human rights defenders. attack on the rights to access justice and to In September, the IACHR granted judicial independence.2 precautionary measures in favour of Bertha At the end of August, the Legislative Deleón, a human rights defender, observing Assembly approved a set of reforms that that a situation of animosity and hostility had reduced the length of time judges can serve been generated that could translate into a from 35 to 30 years and set the maximum situation of risk to her life and safety. age for magistrates at 60. The IACHR In November, the Ministry of the Interior rejected the reforms and called on the and Territorial Development presented a draft authorities to respect judicial independence. Law on Foreign Agents before the Legislative RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND Assembly. If passed, the law would affect the REPARATION funding, operations and freedom of association of those working to defend 3 Impunity for the El Mozote massacre, human rights in the country. committed in 1981 during the armed conflict, SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS persisted. In March, victims of the massacre reported to the Inter-American Court of The total ban on abortion remained in place Human Rights that the authorities had and by December at least 11 women refused to provide information on the case, remained in jail on charges related to especially that contained in military archives, obstetric emergencies. and that the Office of the Attorney General In May, a proposal to reform the Criminal had not made significant progress in the Code to decriminalize abortion on four investigation of any of the dozens of cases grounds, presented several years earlier, was filed by victims. shelved by a Legislative Assembly In September, local organizations stated that commission. Additionally, the president major changes affecting the judiciary publicly stated that he would not propose any resulting from the legal reforms would also constitutional reform that includes the have an impact on the reopened cases of decriminalization of abortion. victims of the armed conflict. During October, the Legislative Assembly HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS shelved a new proposal presented by women's rights groups for the High-ranking government officials publicly decriminalization of abortion in certain stigmatized and disparaged human rights circumstances. defenders and their organizations, and Amnesty International Report 2021/22 158