UN Experts Condemn Interpol Red Notices Targeting Salvadoran Rights Defenders

UN experts say the charges filed against them in El Salvador are baseless and directly linked to their legitimate human rights activities.

United Nations human rights experts have strongly condemned the issuance of Interpol red notices against two Salvadoran human rights defenders—Ivania Cruz and Rudy Joya—calling it a grave misuse of an international law enforcement tool and a clear case of transnational repression. The two activists, currently in exile in Spain, had fled El Salvador after facing harassment linked directly to their advocacy work.

According to the experts, the Interpol notices extend the reach of politically motivated persecution across borders, threatening the safety of individuals who sought refuge from state-led reprisals.

Human Rights Work Targeted as Criminal Conduct

Cruz and Joya, both members of the civil society organization UNIDEHC, have been actively supporting the La Floresta community, which has resisted attempts at forced eviction since 2024. Their efforts documented rights violations and highlighted government actions under El Salvador’s nationwide state of emergency, declared in 2022.

UN experts say the charges filed against them in El Salvador are baseless and directly linked to their legitimate human rights activities.

“These charges appear to be without merit and are in direct connection with their work supporting threatened communities and denouncing state abuses,” the experts stressed.

The targeting of UNIDEHC began intensifying in February 2025, when the organization began raising its profile around housing rights and due process violations.

Misuse of Interpol Mechanisms

Despite Interpol’s constitutional prohibitions against political misuse, an El Salvador court ordered the National Central Bureau to request red notices for both activists in May 2025. Interpol approved the request in July 2025, a decision that UN experts say reflects a worrying failure in due diligence.

“El Salvador is abusing the red notice system to pursue its political agenda,” the experts said. “We are dismayed that Interpol issued notices that facilitate transnational repression without adequate review.”

The experts invoked Articles 2 and 3 of Interpol’s Constitution:

• The organization must operate in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Interpol is strictly forbidden from engaging in activities of a political nature

Issuing notices against activists fleeing persecution, they argue, directly contradicts these principles.

Detention and Restrictions in Spain

Both Cruz and Joya are currently navigating the Spanish asylum process. However, the red notices have led to immediate consequences.

• In September 2025, Spanish police summoned Joya under the pretext of an asylum-related procedure. Upon reporting, he was detained and brought before a specialized court.

• Cruz received a similar summons and appeared before the same tribunal.

The court imposed restrictive measures on both defenders:

• Mandatory check-ins every 15 days

• Prohibition from leaving Spain

• Surrender of passports

• Obligation to report any change of residence

These measures, the experts say, place unnecessary pressure on the defenders and expose them to heightened risk.

Call for Immediate Action

UN experts issued a firm appeal to both Interpol and the Spanish authorities:

• Interpol must revoke the red notices

• Spain must refuse to enforce the notices

• Spain must prioritise the safety of both individuals by denying any extradition request

“Spain must ensure the defenders are not forcibly returned,” the experts emphasized. “Returning them to El Salvador would expose them to immediate danger.”

The experts stressed that the international community must ensure human rights defenders are not punished for seeking safety abroad.

Transnational Repression: A Growing Global Threat

This case highlights a rising concern among UN bodies: countries increasingly using Interpol tools to target political dissidents, journalists, and human rights advocates abroad. Such misuse undermines global trust in international policing frameworks and risks weaponizing cooperative law enforcement processes against the very people they are meant to protect.

The experts confirmed ongoing contact with:

• Interpol leadership

• The Government of Spain

• The Government of El Salvador

to ensure urgent review and correction of the situation.

Protecting Human Rights Defenders Beyond Borders

The experts stressed that human rights defenders must be able to carry out their work without fear of cross-border harassment, surveillance, or politically motivated arrest. They warned that permitting the use of red notices in this way sends a dangerous signal to governments seeking to quash civil society through international channels.

“This is not only a violation of individual rights but an attack on the very foundation of international human rights protection,” the experts said.

As the situation develops, the UN continues to monitor the case closely and urges all states to uphold their obligations under international law—especially the duty not to assist in violations arising from political persecution.