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El Salvador judge orders detention of prominent lawyer Ruth Lopez

By Thomson Reuters Jun 4, 2025 | 6:46 PM

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) -A judge in El Salvador ordered the provisional detention of prominent lawyer Ruth Lopez, human rights group Cristosal said on Wednesday.

Lopez, a well-known human rights and anti-corruption advocate, was arrested by Salvadoran authorities last month over allegations of embezzlement during her time as a state official.

She left Wednesday’s hearing shouting that she was innocent and said she had now been charged with illicit enrichment.

“I am a political prisoner. All the charges are because of my legal work, due to my denunciation of corruption in this government,” Lopez added.

(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle)