Guatemala journalist Jos Rubn Zamora marks 1 year in prison

July 27, 2023 6:14 PM EDT

This Saturday, July 29, marks one year of the unjust incarceration of Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora, founder and publisher of investigative newspaper elPeriódico.

Zamora was arrested on July 29, 2022, at his home in Guatemala City. He was held in pretrial detention for nearly a year before being convicted of money laundering and sentenced to six years in prison on June 14, 2023.

His imprisonment is an egregious example of how Guatemalan officials have abused laws to censor the press. His sentencing followed grossly irregular criminal proceedings that violated due legal process. He has also been subjected to harsh prison conditions, including spending a year in solitary confinement, limited to one hour a day outside his cell, and subjected to arbitrary shifts in rules around visitation.

“José Rubén Zamora’s imprisonment is a gross miscarriage of justice and a flagrant attack on journalism in Guatemala,” said CPJ President Jodie Ginsberg. “This case is a bellwether for democracy in Guatemala; the courts should right this wrong and release Zamora without delay.”

More:
https://cpj.org/thetorch/2023/07/guatemala-journalist-jose-ruben-zamora-marks-1-year-in-prison/