CPJ urges Guatemalan authorities to ensure a fair trial for José Rubén Zamora in 2024

São Paulo, November 9, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Guatemalan authorities to respect journalist José Rubén Zamora’s right to a fair trial in his retrial, which a Guatemala court on Monday scheduled for February 5, 2024.

“Jose Rubén Zamora has endured detention and punitive legal proceedings simply because he dared to report on corruption,” said Cristina Zahar, CPJ’s Latin America and the Caribbean program coordinator. “Guatemalan authorities must ensure that the upcoming trial is conducted impartially and in line with international standards, respecting Zamora’s rights as a defendant.”

Police arrested Zamora, president of the Guatemalan newspaper elPeriódico, on July 29, 2022, and raided elPeriódico’s offices. Zamora was convicted of money laundering and sentenced to six years in prison on June 14; on October 13, a court in Guatemala City overturned that conviction and ordered a retrial. Zamora remains in custody.