Freedom Now warmly congratulates Ruth López for being named this year’s recipient of the American Bar Association (ABA) International Human Rights Award. We are pleased to have supported Ms. López’s nomination, recognizing her important work as a constitutional lawyer, human rights defender, and advocate. This award is the latest recognition of her invaluable contributions as a leader in El Salvador’s fight for human rights, government transparency, and anti-corruption. Ms. López has, however, been wrongfully detained since May and will thus be unable to collect her award next month. We urge the government of El Salvador to immediately and unconditionally release Ms. López so she may do so and freely continue her legitimate work.
At the time of her arrest, on May 18, 2025, Ms. López was leading the Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit of Cristosal, a prominent Salvadoran human rights organization. Authorities alleged she had embezzled state funds during her time as a state official ten years ago. For over 40 hours, the government failed to disclose her location to her family or lawyers. On June 4, a judge ordered that she remain in provisional detention pending trial. At Cristosal, Ms. López’s unit has undertaken high-profile investigations and published reports that exposed corruption and human rights abuses by President Nayib Bukele’s government. It is clear that she is now being targeted for her work and outspoken criticism of El Salvador’s government.
This is not the first time Ms. López has been targeted this way, nor is her case isolated. Under President Bukele, Salvadoran authorities have fiercely cracked down on the independent press and civil society in El Salvador, using repressive tactics like surveillance and arbitrary detention to silence critics. National and international organizations have documented patterns of systemic repression and warned of a serious deterioration of the rule of law and human rights protections. Despite these threats, Ms. López tirelessly continued working to defend human rights and demand public accountability in El Salvador.
Freedom Now recognizes Ms. López’s exceptional commitment and contribution to advancing human rights and the rule of law in El Salvador and as a model for the rest of the world. Given our extensive experience working with and in support of human rights defenders and political prisoners, we strongly believe that she embodies the spirit of the ABA’s International Human Rights Award. Ms. López fully merits this recognition at this critical moment.