During a July 20th press conference, Salvadoran human rights and labor rights organizations denounced  the scheduling of a mass trial hearing for August 25 and 26 by the Fourth Court Against Organized Crime, in which union leader Geovanni Antonio Aguirre López will be prosecuted. Aguirre has remained detained under the State of Exception since 2022, despite two court orders mandating his release.

During the press conference, Aguirre's attorney, Luis Rivera, stated that after reviewing the case file, "there is not a single serious, objective, and legally admissible piece of evidence linking Geovanni Antonio Aguirre López to criminal organizations." He asserted that all the evidence included in the proceedings demonstrates that Aguirre's public record has been exclusively devoted to defending labor and trade union rights.

The attorney explained that by failing to comply with the court orders issued in 2022 and 2023 mandating Aguirre's release, the Director of Prisons is committing the crimes of disobedience and breach of official duties. He also called on the Office of the Attorney General to open an ex officio (of its own initiative) investigation into these actions.

Rivera also expressed concern over the lack of information regarding the union leader's physical condition. "It is deeply concerning that official information about his health has been extremely limited or nonexistent," he said, noting that neither the defense team nor Aguirre's family has had access to updated medical reports for approximately two years.

Lourdes Palacios, of the Committee of Family Members of Imprisoned and Politically Persecuted Persons in El Salvador (COFAPPES), also stated that Geovanni Aguirre's case "is clear evidence of the failure to comply with the Nelson Mandela Rules," which establish the minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners. She urged the Salvadoran state to comply with these standards in Aguirre's case and in those of all other political prisoners.

The press conference also highlighted the support of 80 international human rights, labor, faith-based, and diaspora organizations, which sent a letter to the Fourth Court Against Organized Crime expressing their "deep concern over the continued arbitrary detention and periods of enforced disappearance" of Aguirre and demanding compliance with the court orders mandating his release.

Speaking on behalf of one of the signatory organizations, Bethany Loberg said she has known Aguirre for more than ten years and described him as "a young leader deeply committed to his community and his family." Loberg recounted how, during her organization's exchanges in El Salvador, she witnessed Aguirre coordinating activities with youth in his community and with the church youth group, where he promoted art projects for social transformation. "He has spent many years committed to the young people in his community," she added.

In the letter read by Loberg, the international organizations warn that prosecuting Aguirre in a mass trial undermines his right to an individualized judicial review, arbitrarily prolongs his deprivation of liberty, and contradicts the court orders previously issued for his release. They also recall that the case has been brought before the International Labour Organization (ILO), whose Committee of Experts has requested information from the Salvadoran state regarding the situation of imprisoned union leaders like Aguirre and the measures taken to ensure respect for freedom of association in accordance with Convention No. 87.

The signatory organizations urge the Salvadoran authorities to immediately enforce the court orders for Aguirre's release, provide information on his whereabouts and health condition, guarantee an individualized judicial review, and end the criminalization of trade union activity under the State of Exception.