The full bench of magistrates from the Chamber of Injunctions and Preliminary Proceedings from Guatemala’s Supreme Court has rejected a temporary injunction requested by prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche, head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity. The request aimed to reopen a criminal investigation against journalists and columnists who worked for the now-defunct newspaper elPeriódico, founded by José Rubén Zamora, who is currently facing criminal charges.
Although the ruling is temporary and a final decision is still pending, for now it prevents Curruchiche from prosecuting six journalists and two columnists.
The chamber’s decision upholds previous rulings by the Fifth Criminal Court and the Third Court of Appeals, both of which determined that journalists cannot be prosecuted because of what they publish. Most of the journalists in question remain in exile to protect themselves from what they see as a persecution attempt by the Public Ministry, led by Consuelo Porras.
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