The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) denounced on Wednesday, May 28 that the arrest of Salvadoran lawyer Ruth López is part of a “terror” strategy for “silence” Human Rights Defenders in El Salvador.
López, a renowned 47 -year -old lawyer who leads the Anti -Corruption and Justice Unit of the Cristosal NGO, was arrested on May 18 at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office, who accuses her of committing “peculation” when she was an advisor to the former president of the former president of the Supreme Electoral Court Eugenio Chicas, arrested in February.
“What Ruth López is suffering is not an isolated case: it is a horror strategy destined to silence those who dare to tell the truth, “said the head of the Office for the Americas in the FIDH, Jimena Reyes.
The FIDH stressed that, ten days after its arrest, “no official charges have been formulated” against López, who also attended the case of about 280 migrants -The majority Venezuelans- deported by the United States and imprisoned in El Salvador.
At the beginning of May the lawyer was also arrested environmentalist Alejandro Henríquez and the evangelical pastor José Pérez after participating in a protest of peasant families.
The leader of the Human and Community Rights Defense Unit (UNIDHC), Fidel Zavala, was arrested in February accused of “illegal groups”, a crime that is attributed to members of gangs.
“Arbitrariness becomes the norm to silence independent voices in El Salvador“The statement underlines.
Crystosal, founded by Anglican bishops, according to the Federation, is an “compromised” NGO with the defense of displaced, persecuted or vulnerability that is “in the sight of the authorities,” he said.
The FIDH warned that Chrysal’s work is “increasingly difficult in a country that sinks into the authoritarianism“
Bukelewho enjoys great popularity in his country for his “Guerra” against gangssays the NGOs are “manipulated” by left groups to attack their government.
The FIDH described as an “absolute arbitrariness” the newly approved Foreign Agents Law that forces the Oenegés to register in a special registry and imposes a 30% tax on the funds they receive.
“We are witnessing an alarming instrumentalization of criminal law To silence critical voices. This fear climate is incompatible with any rule of law or democracy, “said the director of the World Organization against Torture (WTO), Gerald Staberoch, who also subscribes the statement.