Guatemala’s Constitutional Court ruled by majority to overturn a temporary injunction that had been granted by the Supreme Court’s Injunction Chamber in favor of journalist José Rubén Zamora. Although the injunction did not order Zamora’s release, it allowed his case to return to the Third Court of Appeals for a new review of a legal […]
"The Guatemalan Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal by the prosecutor's office seeking to prosecute eight journalists and columnists from the now-defunct media outlet El Periódico who investigated acts of corruption in which judges and prosecutors were implicated. The Supreme Court's ruling, which is provisional, was announced Tuesday [Aug. 26] through social media. The Special […]
"Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora Marroquín turned 69 on Tuesday, with his son, Ramón Zamora, saying his father has spent the last four birthdays in 'arbitrary' detention. The founder and former editor of the newspaper El Periódico was arrested in July 2022 and has been held in pretrial detention ever since, with the exception of […]
"Journalism in Guatemala is increasingly criminalized and lacks protection, and local reporters covering environmental issues face the greatest risks. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on President Bernardo Arévalo to ensure safe working conditions for these reporters — especially those from indigenous communities. Together with partner organizations, RSF has put forward recommendations to the Guatemalan State, […]
"Amnesty International and a group of press organizations called for the release of Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora on Tuesday [July 29], three years after his arrest on accusations of money laundering that they consider a setup to attack freedom of information. Zamora, 68, who is also accused of blackmail, has been in prison since […]
"The Supreme Court of Guatemala accepted an amparo (legal appeal) filed by the defense of journalist José Rubén Zamora Marroquín against an Appeals Court that ordered his pretrial detention, although his release from prison has not been finalized. In a statement, the Court detailed this Sunday [June 29] that it is 'provisionally' suspending the ruling […]
"The office of the president in Guatemala said in a statement on Monday [May 5] that it regrets journalist José Rubén Zamora Marroquín remains imprisoned at the disposition of the country's Public Prosecutor's Office, whose authority is sanctioned by the United States and the European Union under accusations of corruption. 'All Guatemala is witness of […]
"A Facebook account named “Melvin Veum” launched a paid advertising smear campaign on Monday, April 14, that used the logo of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to legitimize false narratives against Guatemalan journalist Quimy de León, director of independent news website Prensa Comunitaria and recipient of CPJ’s 2024 International Press Freedom Award. The post […]
Several national and international organizations, as well as journalists and individuals known for their defense of the freedom of expression, have expressed solidarity and condemnation of a systematic campaign of attacks and threats against the journalists of Prensa Comunitaria and cofounder Nelton Rivera. The attacks have primarily occurred on social media and represent an attempt […]
“The Supreme Court of Guatemala rejected this Thursday [March 27] a legal appeal by the defense of journalist José Rubén Zamora Marroquín to reverse the resolution that sent him back to a military prison in the Central American country on March 3. The Supreme Court decided to reject the appeal filed by the 67-year-old journalist […]
"A group of 10 international organizations submitted an amicus curiae brief to Guatemala’s Supreme Court in the case of journalist José Rubén Zamora Marroquín. The brief, filed on March 26, argues that Zamora’s return to preventive detention constitutes a violation of his fundamental rights under Guatemalan and international law, and urges the Court to grant a pending amparo appeal […]
“The Guatemalan Red Cross reported an armed attack in the village of Santa Fe, Coatepeque, [department of] Quetzaltenango, last Friday, March 21. The victim was identified as Ismael Alonzo González, a journalist and member of the Association of Journalists and Communicators of the Southwest (APSCO, by its acronym in Spanish). According to preliminary investigations, the […]