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One year after the arbitrary detention of Ruth López, Amnesty International is reiterating its concern over the human rights violations committed against her and calling on the Salvadoran authorities to fully guarantee her due process rights, end her incommunicado detention, and fully comply with the precautionary measures granted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

“Ruth López is a prisoner of conscience who has been unjustly detained for a year because of her tireless fight against corruption and her defence of social justice. We call for her immediate and unconditional release,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. “One year after her detention, the Salvadoran authorities continue to hold Ruth in conditions that are incompatible with their international human rights obligations. Her prolonged incommunicado detention, restrictions on her right to defence and the lack of transparency surrounding the proceedings raise serious concerns about respect for judicial guarantees and due process, not only in her case, but also for the thousands of people arbitrarily detained in El Salvador.”

One year after her detention, the Salvadoran authorities continue to hold Ruth in conditions that are incompatible with their international human rights obligations…We call for her immediate and unconditional release.”

Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

Ruth López was detained on 18 May 2025 amid growing harassment and criminalization of human rights defenders and critical voices in El Salvador. In the first hours after her detention, her relatives and legal team said they did not know where she was, raising concerns that she may have been subjected to a short-term enforced disappearance. The authorities later changed the initial accusations against her, while restricting access to information about the case and raising further questions about respect for judicial guarantees from the very beginning of her detention. In June 2025, Amnesty International recognized Ruth López as a prisoner of conscience.

She remains in detention under an incommunicado regime that has prevented her from maintaining regular contact with her family and has severely restricted her ability to exercise her right to defence. This is compounded by the lack of access to a public hearing and restrictions on access to information about the judicial proceedings against her, further deepening concerns about respect for judicial guarantees and due process. In September 2025, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted precautionary measures in her favour, which the state must fully implement, including by ensuring effective access to legal counsel, regular communication with her family, and protection of her physical and psychological integrity.

Amnesty International is also concerned about the lack of independent and effective national mechanisms to adequately monitor the situation of people deprived of liberty in El Salvador. In December 2025, the organization sent a public letter to Human Rights Ombudsperson Raquel Caballero de Guevara, raising concerns about the lack of a diligent and protection-centred response in Ruth López’s case, including the need for rigorous checks on her detention conditions, access to legal counsel and state of health. Amnesty International stresses that it does not question the Salvadoran state’s duty to investigate possible crimes, but rather the need for any criminal proceedings to be carried out in full respect of the human rights and judicial guarantees of the accused. Pretrial detention must only be used in exceptional circumstances and always in line with the strict standards of necessity, proportionality and periodic review under international law.

“Respect for due process and the right to defence does not protect only one person; it is an essential safeguard for everyone facing criminal proceedings. For as long as Ruth López remains detained, the Salvadoran authorities must urgently review the pretrial detention order against her and ensure conditions that are consistent with her rights and dignity,” said Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

For as long as Ruth López remains detained, the Salvadoran authorities must urgently review the pretrial detention order against her and ensure conditions that are consistent with her rights and dignity.” 

Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

The organization also expresses concern over the human and social impact that Ruth López’s detention has had on her family, community and professional circles. In addition to her work as a human rights defender, Ruth has been widely recognized for her close and committed leadership in educational, community and grassroots organizing spaces, where she supported and accompanied others in advancing social justice demands.

“Her absence has left a deep mark on the spaces where she was an active and committed presence. Ruth López has not only supported victims and denounced abuses; she has also played an important role in strengthening support networks and community organizing in El Salvador. Defending human rights and strengthening the social fabric are legitimate activities that must be protected, not punished,” Ana Piquer added.

Her absence has left a deep mark on the spaces where she was an active and committed presence. Ruth López has not only supported victims and denounced abuses; she has also played an important role in strengthening support networks and community organizing in El Salvador.”

Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

Human rights defenders play a fundamental role in every society, and the Salvadoran state has an obligation to ensure that they can carry out their work without reprisals, criminalization or arbitrary restrictions on their rights.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact press@amnesty.org

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