Guatemala appeals court verdict could see publisher returned to prison

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WASHINGTON — The Guatemalan journalist Jose Ruben Zamora could be returned to prison after an appeals court Friday overturned an order that had moved him into house arrest.

Zamora, who is the founder of the newspaper El Periodico, had been detained on questionable grounds for two years before being granted house arrest in October.

But prosecutors appealed the order, and Friday the appeals court ruled that Zamora, who is 68, should return to prison.

The journalist’s son confirmed the appeals court decision and said his father’s lawyers had been notified, according to The Associated Press.

Zamora was arrested in July 2022 after publishing an editorial in his former media outlet El Periodico. He was convicted of money laundering. But last month an appeals court overturned the conviction and ordered a new trial for 2025.

International groups at the time said the accusation of money laundering and other charges leveled at him were in response to his media coverage and reporting on corruption in the government of former President Alejandro Giammattei.

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had in July said that the imprisonment of the publisher was a violation of international law.

Media watchdogs expressed alarm Friday at the appeals court decision.

“The need for [Zamora’s] full and unconditional release has never been more urgent,” said Reporters Without Borders.

The Committee to Protect Journalists described the decision as concerning on social media, and said, “We reiterate that judicial processes must guarantee fair and impartial treatment, without becoming tools to silence critical journalism.”

After his release, Zamora had told the AP he believed his paper’s investigative work led him to be targeted.

He said that the justice system remained co-opted and that he was sure they would try to find a way to return him to jail.

The Guatemala Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to VOA’s request for comment.

Some information in this report is from The Associated Press.

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Guatemala appeals court verdict could see publisher returned to prison

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