Guatemalan journalist jailed on money-laundering charges released - Los Angeles Times
Advertisement

Guatemalan court orders release of journalist jailed for nearly 2 years on money-laundering charges

 José Rubén Zamora arrives in court.
Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora, founder of El Periodico newspaper, arrives for a court hearing in Guatemala City on Wednesday.
(Moises Castillo / Associated Press)
Share via

A Guatemalan court ordered the release Wednesday of journalist José Rubén Zamora, jailed for nearly two years on money-laundering charges.

Zamora, the 67-year-old founder of El Periodico newspaper, was sentenced to six years in prison last June on money-laundering allegations. But that conviction and sentence were overturned by another court and a new trial ordered.

For nearly two years, he has been kept in jail.

But on Wednesday, a judge ruled that there was no longer justification to keep him in jail, noting that he was not considered a flight risk or a threat to the investigation. Zamora will spend the rest of his time before a new trial on a conditional release.

Advertisement

He was ordered to post a bond of nearly $4,800.

“During my entire life I have been the victim of attacks, abductions, aggressions for the work that I do,” Zamora said during Wednesday’s hearing.

Cristina Gómez, his defense attorney, said that his detention was arbitrary.

Guatemalan tribunal sentences newspaper founder to prison in a money laundering case that press freedom groups decried as a political persecution.

June 14, 2023

Guatemala’s former human rights ombudsman Jorge Duque agreed to guarantee Zamora’s appearance at future hearings. “It is the least I can do,” Duque said. “I know him and I know that he will continue facing the process against him.”

Press freedom groups had decried Zamora’s prosecution as politically motivated.

El Periodico published numerous investigations critical of former President Alejandro Giammattei.

Advertisement

Media observers criticize as politically motivated the trial of the leader of an investigative newspaper in Guatemala accused of money laundering.

May 2, 2023

The charges stemmed from Zamora, 66, asking a friend to deposit a $38,000 donation to keep the newspaper going rather than depositing it himself. Zamora has said he did so because the donor did not want to be identified supporting an outlet in the sights of Giammattei.

The foundation of Nobel Prize-winning writer Gabriel García Márquez awarded its excellence in journalism prize to Zamora on Tuesday.

Pérez D. writes for the Associated Press.

Advertisement