Yesterday, Salvadoran human rights defender and @Cristosal anti-corruption lawyer Ruth López (@Ruth_Lopez1977) spent another birthday behind bars, detained for her activism since May 18, 2025. She remains unjustly separated from her family and loved ones. HRF condemns her arbitrary imprisonment and calls for her immediate release.
Ruth has spent her career exposing high-level government corruption, defending democratic institutions, and holding the powerful to account for their abuses in El Salvador. In May 2025, Salvadoran officials arrested her on charges that lacked concrete evidence in a clear attempt by Nayib Bukele’s regime to intimidate civil society and silence critics.
For over a year, officials have denied Ruth basic due process, prosecuting her in secret and refusing to fully implement the precautionary measures granted by the @IACHR. Her detention is emblematic of a broader, systematic crackdown that has forced activists and leading Salvadoran rights groups like Cristosal to move operations out of the country.
HRF honors Ruth’s unwavering courage, integrity, and leadership and demands her immediate and unconditional release. #LibertadParaRuth #JuicioPúblicoParaRuth
