Amnesty International calls on the Salvadoran authorities to immediately and unconditionally guarantee the release of community defenders José Ángel Pérez and Alejandro Henríquez, who have been unjustly imprisoned since May 2025 after participating in a peaceful protest in defense of the rights of the El Bosque community. This comes ahead of a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, October 29, at which the provisional detention order against them will be reviewed.
“José Ángel and Alejandro should never have spent a single day in prison for peacefully exercising their right to defend the rights of their community. Their detention is arbitrary and deeply unjust. October 29 represents an opportunity for the authorities to rectify this injustice, guarantee full respect for due process, and ensure their immediate and unconditional release,” said Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
The organization has expressed its deep concern about the violations of their human rights and the inhumane conditions of detention to which they have been subjected. The criminal proceedings against them have been marked by unfounded accusations of “resistance” and “public disorder,” without evidence to justify their deprivation of liberty. These irregularities have seriously violated their right to the presumption of innocence, to an adequate defense, and to a fair trial.
José Ángel Pérez and Alejandro Henríquez at risk of torture
Since their arrest, both defenders have been held incommunicado without access to the outside world, increasing the risk of torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. In addition, they have been exposed to a prison system characterized by extreme overcrowding. These types of arbitrary detentions are part of a systematic pattern of criminalization that seeks to silence those who denounce abuses, defend the rights of their communities, and demand justice.
“The criminalization of community human rights defenders not only violates the rights of those detained, but also seeks to send a message of fear and intimidation to all those who demand justice and defend the territory in El Salvador. This must end now,” concluded Ana Piquer. The human rights defenders were recognized by Amnesty International as Prisoners of Conscience in July 2025, concluding that they are deprived of their liberty solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights. The October 29 hearing is decisive in determining whether they will remain in detention.
