International organisations call for the release of human rights defenders Alejandro Henríquez and José Ángel Pérez from El Salvador
The undersigned international organisations condemn the arbitrary detention of environmental defender Alejandro Henríquez and community leader José Ángel Pérez, who have been detained in El Salvador since May 2025. Both were arrested during a peaceful protest against the forced eviction of more than 300 campesino families who are members of Cooperativa El Bosque (Bosque Cooperative).
On 29 October 2025, a hearing was held on their case, during which the defence requested alternative measures for Alejandro and José Ángel after presenting evidence of their ties to the community. The court rejected the measures, and they remain in pre-trial detention. They are currently being held incomunicado, without access to visits from their lawyers or family members. Their lawyers have reported that their health is deteriorating due to unsanitary conditions.
Alejandro Henríquez is an environmental lawyer and a member of the Foro del Agua (Water Forum of El Salvador) and the Movimiento Político Rebelión Verde -ReverdES- (Green Rebellion Political Movement). José Ángel Pérez is an evangelical pastor president of the Cooperativa El Bosque (El Bosque Cooperative), and has more than 25 years of community leadership experience. Together with women human rights defender Ruth López, Alejandro and José Ángel have been declared prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International.
The imprisonment of Alejandro and José Ángel is not an isolated incident; it is part of a systematic pattern by the Salvadoran State aimed at silencing human rights defenders, journalists, and critical voices through persecution, criminalisation and the implementation of restrictive laws that hinder social organisations and diminish civic space.
The misuse of the criminal process and the justice system occurs in the context of the co-opted judiciary, the erosion of the separation of powers, and the clousure of civic space in El Salvador. International mechanisms such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) have expressed concern regarding the improper use of the state of emergency to detain human rights defenders, who face charges unrelated to the fight against gangs.
Therefore, the undersigned organisations urge the Salvadoran authorities to:
- Immediately release Alejandro Henríquez, José Ángel Pérez, and all human rights defenders and critical voices who have been arbitrarily detained.
- Refrain from using pre-trial detention as a form of anticipated punishment against human rights defenders, in clear violation of due process guarantees and international human rights standards.
To the international community:
- Urge the State of El Salvador to immediately cease the instrumentalisation of the criminal justice system against human rights defenders and those who express criticism of the government.
- Take urgent action through diplomatic channels, conditional assistance, and cooperation to protect civic space, the rule of law, democracy and human rights in El Salvador.
Signatories:
ARTICLE 19 Mexico and Central America
Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)
CIVICUS, World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES)
Ecumenical Office for Peace and Justice e.V. - Munich, Germany.
Flüchtlingshilfe Mittelamerika e.V. - Goch, Germany
Front Line Defenders
Latin America Working Group (LAWG)
Protection International
Rights & Security International (RSI)
World Organization Against Torture (OMCT)
Zehar-Errefuxiatuekin - Euskal Herria, Spanish State
