• Ruth Eleonora López, a prominent human rights lawyer, was arrested in El Salvador on embezzlement charges.
• The arrest has raised concerns about political persecution and the suppression of dissent in the country.
• International rights groups, including Amnesty International, demand her release.
• López's organization, Cristosal, criticizes the government for violating due process during her detention.
• President Nayib Bukele's policies are seen as increasingly authoritarian, prompting outcry from the civil society.

Ruth Eleonora López, a leading human rights lawyer in El Salvador, was arrested late Sunday at her home on allegations of embezzlement related to her past government service. The Attorney General's Office claimed she collaborated in theft while working with former electoral court president Eugenio Chicas, who currently faces corruption charges, according to Reuters and Los Angeles Times.

The human rights organization Cristosal, which López leads in anti-corruption efforts, condemned her arrest as a "politically motivated" act aimed at silencing dissent against President Nayib Bukele's government. Critics argue this approach is emblematic of Bukele's increasingly authoritarian regime and ongoing efforts to suppress voices advocating for human rights, according to Al Jazeera and NPR.

Following her arrest, López's family reported that neither they nor her legal team were able to ascertain her location, which Cristosal called a "blatant violation of due process." The organization's statement highlighted the dangers faced by human rights defenders in the current climate of intimidation and fear under Bukele's administration, corroborated by reports from South China Morning Post and TRT Global.

International pressure has mounted against López's arrest, with over a dozen rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, demanding her immediate release and expressing alarm at the pervasive state of fear surrounding civil liberties in El Salvador, according to Los Angeles Times and Al Jazeera.

Under Bukele’s leadership, El Salvador has witnessed a state of emergency that has suspended numerous civil liberties, resulting in the imprisonment of many individuals. Critics, including López, have pointed out the risks facing innocent citizens and the absence of due process under these harsh measures, as outlined by Reuters and South China Morning Post.