El Salvador: Authorities Silent on Humanitarian Visit Request for Ruth López

Ruth López, a human rights defender recognized by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, is spending her second birthday behind bars in El Salvador as authorities maintain silence over requests for a humanitarian visit.

Detained on 18 May 2025, López has been deprived of her liberty solely because of her peaceful work defending human rights. Amnesty International submitted official letters on 1 August 2026 to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General, the judge overseeing the case, the Director General of Prisons, and the Minister of Justice and Public Security, asking for permission for a senior delegation to visit López and directly evaluate her detention conditions.

The organization reiterated its request on 26 August, but to date, none of the five authorities has responded to the communications.

The authorities’ silence appears increasingly deliberate with each passing day. Every minute that passes makes it even more necessary to allow an independent assessment of Ruth’s conditions in prison.

Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Americas Director

Legal Irregularities and International Concern

López has faced proceedings marred by irregularities, which have also been questioned by United Nations Special Rapporteurs. United Nations officials have cautioned that the conditions of her incarceration suggest payback for her peaceful and lawful advocacy as a human rights defender.

At the end of last year, Amnesty International addressed a public letter to the Human Rights Ombudsperson, highlighting a lack of diligent action in the case. The organization pointed out that El Salvador currently lacks both an independent, functional national body to oversee the welfare of detainees and any willingness to permit international oversight in practice. More than 16 months after her detention, there remains no certainty about the conditions in which she is held.

In September 2025, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures in her favor. The commission found that her rights to life, personal integrity, and health were in a situation of serious and urgent risk, carrying the possibility of irreparable harm.

The Salvadoran government was urged by the IACHR to reevaluate the ongoing application of pretrial detention, cease her prolonged incommunicado custody, ensure she has consistent access to lawyers, representatives, and family members, and uphold detention conditions that align with international benchmarks. Her family has publicly stated that these measures have not been fully implemented.

Global Mobilization and Ongoing Demands

As the case continues, Amnesty International is reiterating its call for the immediate and unconditional release of López. The organization is urging authorities to respond promptly to pending requests for a humanitarian visit and has stated its readiness to carry out the visit at the earliest opportunity.

The demand for her release is currently a focal point of Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign, the organization’s largest annual human rights campaign. Marking its 25th anniversary, the campaign mobilizes around four million actions on behalf of people and communities at risk across five continents.

To 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.

Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Americas Director