<\/p>\n
As human rights defender Ruth L\u00f3pez spends her second birthday behind bars, Amnesty International reiterates its request to the Salvadoran authorities to conduct a humanitarian visit and calls for her immediate and unconditional release.<\/p>\n
On 1 August 2026, Amnesty International sent formal communications to the Attorney General, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, the Director General of Prisons, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the judge in charge of the case, requesting authorization for a high-level delegation from the organization to visit Ruth L\u00f3pez and directly assess her conditions of detention. The request was reiterated on 26 August and, to date, none of the five authorities has responded. Ana Piquer, Amnesty International\u2019s Americas Director, said:<\/p>\n
\nThe authorities\u2019 silence appears increasingly deliberate with each passing day. Every minute that passes makes it even more necessary to allow an independent assessment of Ruth\u2019s conditions in prison.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ana Piquer, Amnesty International\u2019s Americas Director<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Ruth L\u00f3pez has faced proceedings marred by irregularities, which have also been questioned by UN Special Rapporteurs<\/a>, who have warned that the circumstances of her detention point to retaliation for her legitimate and peaceful work as a human rights defender.<\/p>\n
At the end of last year, we addressed a public letter to the Human Rights Ombudsperson<\/a>, highlighting the lack of diligent action in Ruth\u2019s case. In addition to the absence of an independent and effective national mechanism to monitor the situation of people deprived of their liberty in El Salvador, there is now a de facto refusal to allow international scrutiny. Today, more than 16 months after her detention, there is still no certainty about the conditions in which she is being held.<\/p>\n
\nTo Ruth and her family, we want to send a message of solidarity and reaffirm our commitment to keeping alive the demand for her immediate and unconditional release. At this very moment, thousands of people around the world are mobilizing through the Write for Rights campaign, driven by the conviction that, sooner rather than later, Ruth will be free.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ana Piquer, Amnesty International\u2019s Americas Director<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Amnesty International calls on the authorities to respond promptly to its requests for a humanitarian visit and reiterates its readiness to carry out the visit at the earliest opportunity.<\/p>\n
Additional information<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Ruth L\u00f3pez was detained on 18 May 2025. Amnesty International recognized her as a prisoner of conscience<\/a>, after concluding that she had been deprived of her liberty solely because of her peaceful work defending human rights.<\/p>\n
In September 2025, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures in her favour<\/a>, finding that her rights to life, personal integrity and health were in a situation of serious and urgent risk, with the possibility of irreparable harm. The IACHR called on the state to ensure conditions of detention consistent with international standards, end her prolonged incommunicado detention, guarantee regular contact with her family, lawyers and representatives, and review the continued use of pretrial detention. Her family has publicly stated<\/a> that these measures have not been fully implemented.<\/p>\n
Write for Rights<\/strong> is Amnesty International\u2019s largest annual human rights campaign, mobilizing around four million actions on behalf of people and communities at risk across five continents. As the campaign marks its 25th anniversary this year, it includes the demand for Ruth L\u00f3pez\u2019s immediate and unconditional release.<\/a><\/p>\n