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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for the immediate release of José Ángel Pérez, 55, and Alejandro Antonio Henríquez, 29, two human rights defenders arrested in El Salvador on May 12 while peacefully protesting the eviction of hundreds of families from the El Bosque community near San Salvador.
The pair face charges of “aggressive resistance” and “public disorder,” which under Salvadoran law carry prison sentences of up to six years. HRW reviewed court documents and video footage of the protest, concluding that the arrests were arbitrary and the charges unfounded. The footage reportedly shows both men engaging peacefully with police before being forcibly detained.
HRW’s Americas director, Juanita Goebertus, stated that the arrests reflect a broader effort to criminalize peaceful dissent. Amnesty International has also declared the men “prisoners of conscience” and warned of escalating repression against activists, journalists, and civil society under President Nayib Bukele’s administration.
The case has drawn international scrutiny, with rights groups asserting it exemplifies a growing pattern of silencing opposition voices in El Salvador.
Excerpts from jurist.org article by Nova Kruijning | Erasmus School of Law, NL
