SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR (HRNW) — Amnesty International has renewed its call for access to detained human-rights defender Ruth López after Salvadoran authorities did not respond to repeated requests for a humanitarian visit.
Amnesty said on September 26 that López was spending her second birthday in detention and that authorities had not responded to a formal request submitted by the organization to assess her conditions in prison.
The organization said it first requested authorization for a high-level Amnesty delegation to visit López on August 1, 2026.
The request was sent to the attorney general, minister of justice and public security, director general of prisons, foreign ministry and the judge responsible for her case.
Amnesty said it repeated the request on August 26 but had not received a response from any of the five authorities by September 26.
López has been detained since May 18, 2025.
Amnesty International has recognized her as a prisoner of conscience, saying its assessment is that she was deprived of her liberty because of her peaceful human-rights work.
The organization said UN Special Rapporteurs have also raised concerns about alleged irregularities surrounding her detention and proceedings.
Amnesty is asking Salvadoran authorities to permit an independent humanitarian assessment of López’s detention conditions.
The organization has also called for her immediate and unconditional release.
The case has become part of Amnesty’s wider Write for Rights campaign, which this year includes López among people whose cases are being highlighted internationally.
Amnesty said the campaign marks its 25th anniversary and mobilizes supporters around cases involving people and communities facing human-rights concerns.
The organization said independent monitoring of detention conditions is particularly important when access to detainees is restricted.
Amnesty has called on Salvadoran authorities to respond to its request and allow the proposed visit to take place.
The latest appeal keeps international attention focused on López’s detention and the ability of human-rights organizations to independently assess conditions faced by detainees.
Support Appeal
HRNW appeals to readers, civil society organizations, governments and human-rights supporters to strengthen independent human-rights journalism and public awareness through the World’s No.1 dedicated Human Rights News Agency.
Support HRNW – World’s No.1 dedicated Human Rights News Agency
Disclaimer
This article is based on Amnesty International’s September 26, 2026 statement concerning Ruth López. Amnesty’s characterization of López’s detention and the proceedings is presented as the organization’s assessment. HRNW has not independently verified the allegations concerning her detention or legal case.