Transparency International strongly condemns intimidation of its El Salvador chapter

Phone-tapping devices discovered

Transparency International, the global anti-corruption organisation, strongly condemns the use of spying devices against civil society and political intimidation in El Salvador, including its national chapter in the country, the Fundación Nacional para el Desarollo (FUNDE), and calls for an investigation into all illegal phone tapping.

“Unlawful phone-tapping constitutes intimidation and threatens the space that civil society needs to operate in a free democratic environment,” said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International.

“This is not just a criminal offence according to the national law of El Salvador but contravenes United Nations Human Rights Council Resolutions. These commit member states to protect civil society space, the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and of association,” added Ugaz.

FUNDE carried out a professional sweep of its telecommunications infrastructure on January 16, which found a recording device in the phone of FUNDE’s Executive Director, Roberto Rubio Fabián.

“Transparency International fully supports the work of FUNDE and we expect the authorities in El Salvador to do the same by investigating who is behind the attacks. Transparency International and FUNDE will not be intimidated and will continue to relentlessly fight corruption in the country,” added Ugaz.

The recent phone-tapping is not the first attack against FUNDE and its Executive Director. In recent months, Roberto Rubio Fabián and his family have been the victim of defamation campaigns.

Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption.

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