El Salvador arrests a prominent human rights lawyer on corruption charges

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- El Salvador arrested an anticorruption lawyer from 1 of the country’s premier quality rights organizations, alleging she participated successful the embezzlement of funds erstwhile she held a authorities presumption earlier successful her career.

Ruth Eleonora López’s organization, Cristosal, connected Monday condemned the apprehension a time earlier, which it described arsenic a “short-term enforced disappearance,” and demanded the authorities supply accusation connected her whereabouts.

Cristosal has been 1 of the astir outspoken critics of immoderate of President Nayib Bukele’s policies, particularly the ongoing three-year authorities of emergency, which has suspended immoderate cardinal rights related to owed process, portion the authorities fights the country’s gangs.

The measurement restricts the close to gather, to beryllium informed of rights and to person entree to a lawyer. It extends to 15 days the clip that idiosyncratic tin beryllium held without charges. Some 85,000 radical person been arrested nether the authorities of emergency.

López is the caput of Cristosal’s Anti-Corruption Unit, which has produced dozens of reports and filed ineligible actions related to authorities corruption.

López’s squad has “repeatedly documented and denounced the deficiency of respect of owed process successful El Salvador, arsenic good arsenic the usage of authorities institutions to repress captious voices," Cristosal said. "We person besides revealed torture, mistreatment and decease successful prisons.”

Neither López’s household nor her ineligible squad knew wherever she was taken aft constabulary removed her from her location astir 11 p.m. Sunday, Cristosal said successful a statement.

“The authorities’ refusal to disclose her determination oregon to let entree to her ineligible representatives is simply a blatant usurpation of owed process, the close to ineligible defence and planetary standards of judicial protection,” Cristosal said.

The Attorney General’s Office did not respond to requests for remark astir López’s arrest. The president’s bureau declined to comment.

The alleged wrongdoing dates to her clip arsenic an advisor to Eugenio Chicas, the erstwhile president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal during the medication of President Salvador Sánchez Cerén (2014-2019).

Chicas moved from the tribunal to the Cabinet of Sánchez Cerén and besides served arsenic a congressman. Last November, helium and immoderate of his relatives were convicted successful a civilian lawsuit for amerciable enrichment betwixt 2009 and 2021.

Chicas, who was detained successful February, is present being prosecuted connected transgression charges of amerciable enrichment.

The Attorney General’s Office alleged that López had been progressive successful Chicas’ embezzlement.