Ruth Lopez, anti-corruption and justice director of Cristosal, arrives at a courthouse for a hearing, after she was arrested for alleged embezzlement while she served as a state official, in San Salvador, El Salvador, June 4, 2025. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas
(Corrects to remove incorrect line saying that six months is the minimum period for pre-trial detention in El Salvador)
SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) -A judge in El Salvador ordered the provisional detention of prominent lawyer Ruth Lopez, human rights group Cristosal said on Wednesday.
Lopez, a well-known human rights and anti-corruption advocate, was arrested by Salvadoran authorities last month over allegations of embezzlement during her time as a state official.
She left Wednesday's hearing shouting that she was innocent and said she had now been charged with illicit enrichment.
"I am a political prisoner. All the charges are because of my legal work, due to my denunciation of corruption in this government," Lopez added.
(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle and Sandra Maler)
