Guatemalan Court Blocks Reimprisonment of Journalist José Rubén Zamora

CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA, Guatemala (AP) — The Guatemalan Supreme Court on Monday granted journalist José Rubén Zamora a protective order, preventing his return to prison while an appeal in his money laundering case remains unresolved. Zamora, the founder of the now-defunct newspaper El Periódico, had been released in October 2024 after spending over 800 days in pretrial detention.

The court’s decision comes after an appeals court in November 2024 ordered Zamora back to prison, overturning a lower court’s ruling that had allowed him to remain under house arrest. Zamora, 68, has consistently denied the charges, which he claims are retaliation for his investigative reporting on corruption within the Guatemalan government.

“I will continue to comply with the restrictions imposed on me,” Zamora said Monday after a hearing in another court was postponed. “I have never left the country, nor would I have any reason to do so. I will face these corrupt judges and prosecutors.”

Zamora was arrested in July 2022, just weeks after El Periódico published a series of reports alleging corruption in the administration of then-President Alejandro Giammattei, including irregularities in COVID-19 vaccine procurement. His detention drew international condemnation from press freedom organizations, which viewed the case as an attempt to silence critical journalism.

Francisco Vivar, one of Zamora’s lawyers, filed a motion challenging the appeals court’s decision to return his client to prison while the appeal is still pending. However, the judges dismissed the motion, prompting Zamora’s legal team to seek the protective order from the Supreme Court.

Zamora, who has been under house arrest since his release, is required to remain in his Guatemala City apartment and report to judicial authorities every Wednesday. “I remain innocent,” he said. “It is devastating to have cases fabricated against you, destroying your family and livelihood. But I will continue to fight.”

The case has become a flashpoint in Guatemala’s ongoing struggle for press freedom and judicial independence. Zamora’s supporters argue that his prosecution is emblematic of a broader crackdown on dissent under Giammattei’s administration, which ended in January 2024.

As the legal battle continues, Zamora remains under alternative measures to pretrial detention, awaiting the resolution of his appeal. The Supreme Court’s decision marks a temporary reprieve for the journalist, who has vowed to continue his fight against corruption despite the personal toll.