OCCRP Anti-Crime & Corruption Hero Award

The report documents the May 18, 2025 arbitrary arrest and prolonged pretrial detention of Salvadoran human-rights defender Ruth López Alfaro, alleging politically motivated charges (embezzlement and illicit enrichment), denial of due process, incommunicado confinement, transfer to a high-security facility contrary to judicial orders, and broad international condemnation by organizations such as Amnesty International and the American Bar Association; it also situates her case within a broader crackdown on journalists, activists, and civil society in El Salvador and notes concerns about state surveillance (Pegasus) and misuse of public funds.