El Salvador: The legal profession under siege in a context of erosion of the rule of law
Report date: February 2026
Description: This report, drafted by the OIAD and Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L), analyses the serious deterioration of the rule of law in El Salvador and its direct impact on the independent practice of law.
Since May 2021, the country has experienced a deep erosion of the separation of powers, marked by the dismissal of judges from the Constitutional Chamber and the Attorney General, reforms that facilitated the mass removal of judges and prosecutors, and the consolidation of broad discretionary powers in the Executive. This process has been worsened by the prolonged application of the state of emergency since March 2022, which has suspended fundamental guarantees such as the right to defence and the inviolability of communications.
In May 2025, the approval of the Foreign Agents Law added new restrictions to civic space, imposing a 30% tax on international funds and granting broad powers to the executive branch to sanction or cancel organisations, directly affecting human rights work.
In this context, the report documents a systematic pattern of harassment and criminalisation against lawyers, especially those who represent persons detained under the state of emergency or who denounce abuses of power. Among the main concerns identified are:
- Arbitrary detentions and temporary enforced disappearances.
- Prolonged incommunicado detention and restrictions on access to clients.
- Secret trials and the use of “faceless judges.”
- Selective disciplinary proceedings as a means of pressure.
- Stigmatisation and surveillance campaigns.
- Transnational repression through INTERPOL notifications.
The report presents emblematic cases that illustrate these patterns, including the situations of Ruth López, Alejandro Henríquez, Enrique Anaya, Ingrid Escobar, as well as Ivania Cruz and Rudy Joya, who have faced detention, incommunicado detention, exile or international persecution for the legitimate exercise of their profession.
The OIAD and L4L conclude that these acts constitute reprisals for the legitimate exercise of the legal profession and violate international obligations assumed by El Salvador, including the American Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
The report makes urgent recommendations to the Salvadoran State and the international community to guarantee the protection of lawyers at risk, restore procedural guarantees, and ensure the free and independent exercise of the legal profession.
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