El Salvador’s Congress voted on Wednesday to be allowed to minors who have been convicted of crimes associated with organized crime being housed in the same prisons as adults, albeit in separate spaces.

The measure will apply to gangs under the age of 18 and have been prosecuted for major crimes such as homicides, abductions and arms trade, Congress said.

The new law is part of a controversial war against organized crime under the leadership of the president Nagib. Since 2022, it has launched a state of emergency by suspending certain constitutional rights, conducted mass laws and built the so -called ‘Great prison’.

Groups for rights say that prisoners – including children – have been tortured. The government said that torture are not in its prisons.

“This will prevent them from having the same criminal treatment as those who have committed less serious crimes or committed individual or occasional offenses,” He mentioned the Congress of El Salvador in an official press release.

The United States is also considering detention of US citizens who have been convicted of crimes in Salvador prisons.

The government of El Salvador does not regularly provide information on the number of children held in prison or in custody. Reported that last year’s February 1,065 children had been convicted during the state of emergency.

According to Human Rights Watch, the numbers increased during an emergency status. Over 3,300 children were held between March 2022 and December 2023, compared to the annual average of 805 children held in minors between 2018 and 2021.