El Salvador's Congress pardoned a woman who was sentenced to a 30-year prison term after complications lead to a miscarriage when she was just a teen, according to The Guardian.

The woman, known as Guadalupe, already served nearly eight years of her prison sentence while 16 other women in her predicament are waiting for a chance to be pardoned.

Guadalupe was charged under El Salvador's harsh abortion laws after she had given birth to a stillborn baby as a result of being raped. 

She was interrogated at the hospital and later charged with aggravated murder. Several women just like Guadalupe have been charged with murder for miscarrying or experiencing other complications in their pregnancy.

A group of activists and NGO's launched a campaign that is fighting for the freedom of 17 women called "Las 17" or "The 17" who have sentences of up to 40 years in prison due to El Salvador's harsh abortion laws. Guadalupe is their breakthrough victim.

"El Salvador has finally heard the chorus of human rights advocates across the globe calling for the release of Las 17," said Monica Arango Olaya, regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Center for Reproductive Rights. 

"For decades, El Salvador has blatantly violated the fundamental human rights of these women and countless others," she said.

"We stand with 'Las 17,' Agrupación Ciudadana and our global partners in this fight to seek justice for all Salvadoran women."

Nancy Northup, the center's president and CEO said, "A woman who seeks essential healthcare has committed no crime, and she should neither fear imprisonment nor be required to seek a pardon for her actions."

El Salvador's strict abortion laws came to light back in 2013 when a 22-year-old was denied an early termination even though the pregnancy presented a life threatening risk to her, according to the United Nations News Center.

Other nations with harsh abortion laws include Nicaragua, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Malta and South Sudan.