Source: Amnesty International –
Throughout the beginning of Nayib Bukele’s second presidential term, El Salvador has experienced an alarming increase in the harassment, persecution and criminalization of human rights defenders, journalists, activists, critical voices and civil society organizations. In this context, Amnesty International today names lawyer Ruth López, environmental defender Alejandro Henríquez and pastor and community leader José Ángel Pérez as prisoners of conscience and demands their immediate and unconditional release.
“These detentions are not isolated events. They are part of a systematic pattern of criminalization that seeks to silence those who denounce abuses, demand justice, and demand transparency in public administration. The intensification of this pattern in recent weeks is a clear warning sign of the speed with which Nayib Bukele’s government is dismantling civic space,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
These detentions are not isolated events. They are part of a systematic pattern of criminalization that seeks to silence those who denounce abuses, demand justice, and demand transparency in public administration.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
“The designation of Ruth, Alejandro and José Ángel as prisoners of conscience is an act of denunciation and a show of solidarity with the community of human rights defenders and civil society organizations in El Salvador. It is also an urgent call to the international community to use all possible means to stop this authoritarian and repressive drift and to demand that the Salvadoran authorities stop the criminalization of human rights defenders and the persecution of civil society organizations and independent media and journalists.”
Amnesty International designates a person as a prisoner of conscience only after rigorously examining the circumstances of their detention. This status is granted to individuals who have been deprived of their liberty solely for peacefully expressing their ideas, exercising their rights, or because of their identity—such as their ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, or other characteristics protected under international human rights law—without having used or incited violence or hatred.
Ruth López, lawyer and the head of Cristosal’s Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit, was arrested on 18 May 2025 on initial charges of embezzlement. Subsequently, 15 days after her arrest, the Attorney General’s Office switched the charge to illicit enrichment. According to the information available to Amnesty International, there is no evidence pointing to any reasonable suspicion of her involvement in those crimes. She was detained in violation of fair trial standards and under judicial secrecy, which has been widely condemned by international organizations and regional and universal protection mechanisms.
Ruth is nationally and internationally known for her fight against corruption and her defense of the rule of law. In 2024, the BBC named her one of the 100 most influential women in the world.
Alejandro Henríquez, a lawyer and environmental defender, was arrested on 13 May 2025 for his participation in a peaceful protest against the forced eviction faced by the El Bosque community, home to more than 300 families. Since his arrest, he has been denied immediate and full access to his legal defense or information about his situation.
Following a judge’s decision to impose six months of pre-trial detention, Alejandro was transferred to La Esperanza prison, where he now is being held incommunicado and faces extreme overcrowding and the risk of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment—including torture.
José Ángel Pérez, an evangelical pastor, day laborer and president of the El Bosque cooperative, was arrested on the same day of the peaceful protest and for the same events as Alejandro. He has worked as a community leader and helped his parishioners fight for their rights for more than 25 years. His criminalization is yet another attempt to discourage collective action from rural communities.
Jose and Alejandro were charged with public disorder and resistance, although, according to the information available to Amnesty International, the prosecution failed to show that there was a reasonable suspicion of their involvement in those crimes.