Salvadoran human rights defender Fidel Zavala risks being tortured and subjected to other mistreatment. Zavala was recently moved to a prison where guards are the same, he had previously denounced for torturing people and conducting other forms of mistreatment. Zavala’s life and physical integrity are at immediate risk.
“The transfer of Salvadoran HRD Fidel Zavala is extremely worrying. By moving him to a prison where the guards he previously denounced for torture reign, the authorities are putting his live and physical integrity at immediate risk,” said Ana Piquer, Amnesty Director for the Americas.
On February 25, 2025, Fidel Zavala, spokesperson for the Unidad De Defensa De Derechos Humanos Y Comunitarios (UNIDEHC), was arbitrarily detained by Salvadoran authorities in a raid that included the search of UNIDEHC’s headquarters, the home of lawyer Ivania Cruz—Director of the organization—and the arrest of more than 20 community leaders from La Floresta.
Zavala’s detention is particularly concerning, as he has been both a witness to and a denouncer of torture in penitentiary centers. Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action, in which it urges the authorities to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Fidel Zavala and all detainees and to ensure they receive a fair trial with full due process guarantees.
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