Salvadoran lawyer Ruth López awarded the 2026 Sir Henry Brooke Prize
The OIAD is delighted that the Sir Henry Brooke Prize 2026 has been awarded to Salvadoran lawyer Ruth López, whose nomination was put forward by the OIAD itself. This recognition is particularly significant given that the lawyer has been detained for over ten months.
Ruth López is a prominent human rights lawyer and head of the Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit at Cristosal – organisation to which she belongs –. Throughout her career, she has worked on landmark cases relating to corruption, institutional transparency and illegal surveillance of journalists and human rights defenders. Her work has made her a key figure in the defence of the rule of law in El Salvador.
According to information gathered by the OIAD, her arrest on 18 May 2025 took place in violation of fundamental guarantees, including restrictions on access to her defence team and family members, as well as procedural irregularities that have sparked widespread international concern. Her case illustrates the growing risks faced by lawyers defending human rights in the country.
In this regard, the OIAD recalls the recent publication of its country report, “El Salvador: the legal profession under siege”, which analyses the deterioration of safeguards for the practice of law and the increasing criminalisation of legal professionals.
The award ceremony took place on 10 March 2026 in London, where Noah Bullock, director of Cristosal, and Louis Benavides, husband of Ruth López, accepted the award on her behalf.
Furthermore, Agueda Teja and Gonzalo Sáenz participated on behalf of the OIAD in a roundtable discussion prior to the ceremony, alongside other international organisations, with the aim of analysing the challenges facing human rights defence lawyers in El Salvador and exploring possible courses of action.
