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Guatemala

Guatemalan journalist Jose Rubén Zamora fears being killed in prison

"Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora, imprisoned since 2022 in controversial cases opened by the Prosecutor's Office, fears being killed in prison, an official with Reporters Without Borders (RSF, for its acronym in Spanish) told AFP on Wednesday [Oct. 8]. The 69-year-old journalist, founder of the now-defunct newspaper El Periódico, has spent more than 1,100 days […]

Supreme Court of Guatemala overturns money laundering conviction against journalist José Rubén Zamora

"The Criminal Chamber of the [Guatemalan] Supreme Court of Justice overturned the conviction imposed on [journalist] Jose Rubén Zamora for the crime of money laundering in June 2023. This was confirmed by his son, Ramón Zamora. [...] This ruling acquits Zamora of the six-year sentence imposed on him in 2023. At the same time, it […]

Guatemala top court backs ruling to keep journalist José Rubén Zamora behind bars

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 […]

Court rejects appeal seeking investigation into elPeriódico journalists in Guatemala

"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 […]

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Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora spends fourth birthday in prison

"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 […]

Local journalists covering environmental issues in Guatemala are at high risk, NGOs report

"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, […]

Calls grow for release of Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora, three years after his imprisonment

"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 […]

Guatemala's Supreme Court accepts injunction of journalist José Rubén Zamora who remains in prison

"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 […]

Guatemala’s presidency expresses regret over journalist Zamora’s continued detention

"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 […]

Guatemalan journalist Quimy de León subject to smear campaign involving Committee to Protect Journalists

"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 […]

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Guatemala's Nelton Rivera faces cyberattack campaign in response to corruption reporting

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 […]

Guatemala's Supreme Court rejects journalist José Rubén Zamora's appeal for release from prison

“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 […]