Free El Salvador's Political Prisoners

Solidarity with El Salvador's Political Prisoners

Under El Salvador's ongoing state of exception, human rights defenders, lawyers, and community leaders who speak out against corruption and abuse are being jailed. Many are held for months or years in pretrial detention without a trial. As a sister city organization rooted in solidarity with the Salvadoran people, MASCP stands with them and calls for their immediate release.

We are lifting up two of them in particular: Ruth López and Fidel Zavala.

Ruth López

Anti-corruption lawyer, detained since May 18, 2025

Fidel Zavala

Human rights defender, detained since February 25, 2025

The Unjust Imprisonment of Ruth López

Ruth López is one of El Salvador's most respected human rights lawyers and anti-corruption advocates. Her tireless work with the organization Cristosal exposed high-level government abuse, transparency violations, and the misuse of public funds. Her fearless investigations, which earned her global recognition including being named to the BBC's 100 Women list in 2024 and receiving the American Bar Association's 2025 International Human Rights Award, made her an essential voice for civil liberties and the rule of law. That vital public service also made her a primary target for state retaliation.

On September 27, 2026, López marked her second birthday behind bars following her arbitrary arrest on May 18, 2025. Held in prolonged pretrial detention on politically motivated charges of illicit enrichment, she remains locked away to silence independent oversight. Her case is under judicial seal, her access to family and lawyers has been restricted, and no trial date has been set. Human rights organizations worldwide, including Amnesty International, which has designated her a prisoner of conscience, continue to condemn her imprisonment.

As an organization dedicated to justice and human rights, we stand in solidarity with Ruth López, amplify demands for her immediate and unconditional release, and call on the international community to hold the Salvadoran government accountable for her due process rights.

The Criminalization of Fidel Zavala

Fidel Zavala is a human rights defender and spokesperson for the Human and Community Rights Defense Unit (UNIDEHC), an organization that defends communities facing eviction and abuse. He knows El Salvador's prison system from the inside: he was previously detained for thirteen months before being found innocent in March 2023. After his release, he publicly denounced the torture, abuse, and corruption he witnessed in Salvadoran prisons, naming prison authorities and guards responsible.

On February 25, 2025, authorities raided UNIDEHC's headquarters and arrested Zavala, along with more than 20 community leaders defending their land from eviction in the La Floresta community. His arrest came shortly after he publicly denounced earlier arrests in La Floresta. He has since faced at least four separate criminal proceedings, including the reopening of a case in which he had already been acquitted. Three of those ended in acquittal or were closed without a conviction.

Zavala remains in pretrial detention on charges of criminal association and illegal land sales. In April 2025 he was transferred to Mariona prison, where he was held by the same guards he had accused of torture. After a court appearance on April 10, 2025, he was not returned there, and the court has since had to request information about where he is being held. In September 2026, a court extended the investigation phase of his case until August 25, 2027, meaning he could spend around two and a half years in prison without a trial.

We join Amnesty International and partner organizations in calling for an end to Fidel Zavala's prolonged pretrial detention, guarantees for his safety, and an end to the use of the courts to punish legitimate human rights work.

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