Salvadoran human rights defender Ruth López marked her second birthday behind bars, as Amnesty International renewed its demand for her immediate and unconditional release and pressed authorities for a humanitarian prison visit.
López has now spent more than 16 months in detention following her arrest on May 18, 2025. Amnesty International has recognized her as a prisoner of conscience, concluding that she was deprived of her liberty solely because of her peaceful work defending human rights.
Institutional Silence and Blocked International Scrutiny
The letters requested authorization for a high-level delegation to visit López and directly assess her detention conditions. After receiving no reply, the organization reiterated the request on August 26. To date, none of the five authorities has responded.
At the end of last year, Amnesty International addressed a public letter to El Salvador’s Human Rights Ombudsperson, highlighting a lack of diligent action in the case. The organization points to a combination of an absent independent national mechanism for monitoring people deprived of liberty and a de facto refusal to allow international scrutiny, leaving total uncertainty regarding López’s current conditions.
Legal Irregularities and International Warnings
López has faced judicial proceedings marked by irregularities. United Nations Special Rapporteurs have previously warned that the circumstances of her detention point directly to retaliation for her legitimate and peaceful advocacy.
In September 2025, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) intervened by granting precautionary measures in her favor. The IACHR concluded that López’s rights to life, personal integrity, and health faced a situation of serious and urgent risk with the potential for irreparable harm. The commission called on the Salvadoran state to guarantee detention conditions meeting international standards, end her prolonged incommunicado detention, ensure regular contact with her family and legal representatives, and review the continued use of pretrial detention. According to public statements from her family, these protective measures have not been fully implemented by the state.
Global Mobilization
Amnesty International is using its largest annual human rights initiative, the Write for Rights campaign, to keep pressure on Salvadoran authorities. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the campaign mobilizes roughly four million actions across five continents on behalf of individuals at risk.
Amnesty International maintains its standing request for a humanitarian visit, stating it remains ready to carry out the inspection at the earliest opportunity.
