In Guatemala City, veteran journalist José Rubén Zamora has been sent back to prison following a decision by an appellate court that overturned his house arrest. Founder of the influential El Periódico newspaper, Zamora had been under house arrest since October, after spending over two years in confinement awaiting trial. His house arrest was revoked after prosecutors successfully appealed twice, most recently on Monday.
The 68-year-old journalist was originally incarcerated in July 2022, accused of money laundering involving approximately $38,000. In June 2023, he received a six-year prison sentence. However, this sentence was annulled by an appeals court due to procedural errors.
Both Zamora and supporters advocating for press freedom argue that these legal actions are retribution for El Periódico’s investigative reporting on the previous government led by ex-President Alejandro Giammattei. The current president, Bernardo Arévalo, has openly criticized the ongoing prosecution, describing it as an example of how Guatemala’s judicial system is being misused to target anti-corruption crusaders.
According to prosecutors, Zamora could potentially flee the country, though he had kept to the terms of his house arrest since October. In response to the ruling, Zamora asserted his compliance with judicial procedures as police took him into custody once more.
Amnesty International has denounced the court’s decision to jail Zamora anew and is urging for his immediate release. Ana Piquer, director for Latin America at Amnesty International, emphasized that Zamora is being incarcerated again solely due to his role in investigative journalism and his outspokenness against corruption.
