In August 2000, Jaime Ernesto Rodríguez Marroquín was kidnapped by a group of men. In October 2000, a man involved in the kidnapping confessed his involvement, and named all of his accomplices, including one who he only knew as "El Chopo." This man later identified José Agapito Ruano Torres as "El Chopo," and Mr. Ruano Torres was arrested. He was then subject to various acts of physical and psychological torture by State police. Mr. Ruano Torres insisted upon his innocence, and attempted to offer evidence that showed he had an alibi, and that he was not in fact "El Chopo," but his brother was. This evidence was held to be inadmissible in every court he presented it to. Despite various appeals, Mr. Ruano Torres was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, a sentence which he completed in 2015. The Court found that the State violated the American Convention on Human Rights.
Case Summary: Ruano Torres et al. v. El Salvador, Case Summary