San Salvador, El Salvador (AP) – Attorneys representing prominent human rights organizations were present as a principled critic of President Naibe Bukele’s policies faced the court in El Salvador on Wednesday. Prosecutors accused her of illegal enrichment, seeking a six-month incarceration during the trial.
Observers suggest that the prosecution of Ruth Eleonora Lopez is retaliatory due to her advocacy work; however, authorities claim she assisted a former employer in facing embezzlement charges. Lopez was apprehended at her residence on May 18.
An anti-corruption attorney affiliated with the non-profit organization Cristosal has rejected the allegations.
Wednesday’s hearing was closed to the public as the case files were sealed.
“People need to be informed,” Lopez stated in a brief video shared on X as she was led by police through a courthouse, her hands bound, declaring, “They will not silence me; I demand a public trial.”
Defense attorney Pedro Cruz, surrounded by journalists, voiced his opposition to the sealing of the case, arguing that the prosecutor was “motivated by fear of baseless accusations.”
Lopez did not first appear before the judge until Monday, more than two weeks following her arrest.
Prosecutors revealed at that hearing that the charges of illegal enrichment had changed from the initial embezzlement accusations, requesting she be detained while the investigation continued.
Cristosal is a critic of several of Bukele’s policies, including the ongoing emergency measures that grant him special authority for over three years.
The emergency provisions curtail the right to assembly, restrict access to legal counsel, and extend the duration someone can be detained without charges to 15 days. Approximately 86,000 individuals have been detained under this state of emergency.
López heads Cristosal’s anti-corruption unit and has authored reports and initiated legal actions concerning government corruption.
Mary Lawler, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Advocates, indicated that she monitored Lopez’s hearing closely via X. “The state must uphold her rights to due process. She should be released immediately.”
López’s alleged misconduct dates back to her tenure as an advisor to former President Salvador Sanchez Ceren (2014-2019) and to Eugenio Cicus, the former president of the Supreme Electoral Court.
“Ruth dedicated her life to advocating for human rights and combating corruption,” Cristosal stated last week. “She is not an isolated case; this reflects a broader pattern of criminalization against dissenting voices.”
Source: apnews.com