March 12, 2025
Nine international organizations demand the immediate and unconditional release of Guatemalan journalist Jose Rubén Zamora, who has been imprisoned again on alleged money laundering charges in an arbitrary process that violates due process and has been widely questioned for its political motivation.
Judge Erick García, who had granted him house arrest on October 18, 2024, executed an order from the Third Court of Appeals that revoked the measure on March 4. On March 10, Judge García ordered the journalist's return to prison in a hearing where he denounced having received threats and intimidation. This decision exacerbates the criminalization of the journalist and undermines freedom of expression in Guatemala.
In July 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared that Zamora's continued imprisonment was arbitrary and violated international law. Additionally, a report from the organization TrialWatch confirmed severe violations of due process in the trial against Zamora, including unjustified delays, harassment of his lawyers, and other irregularities. The report concluded that the trial was "a probable retaliation for his investigative journalism work."
The undersigned organizations demand an immediate end to the judicial persecution against José Rubén Zamora and the annulment of the proceedings against him, as they are marred by irregularities and political motivations. We urge Guatemalan authorities to guarantee his right to a fair and impartial trial, free from undue interference and pressure. We also call on the international community to strengthen its monitoring of the press situation in Guatemala and to demand guarantees for the practice of journalism without reprisals.
Zamora faces two judicial proceedings with three charges. He was arrested on July 29, 2022, accused of allegedly concealing the origin of Q300,000 (approximately $7,000), despite presenting evidence that it was the purchase and sale of a work of art. He also faces charges of obstruction of justice and falsification of migration documents, accusations that his defense has rejected.
On January 13, 2025, the Supreme Court of Justice granted a provisional injunction that suspended the revocation of his substitute measures. In August 2024, a court had replaced his pretrial detention with house arrest in one of the cases; however, he remains in jail due to a second active measure.
We demand independent and impartial hearings for José Rubén Zamora, with strict adherence to due process and international human rights standards. We call on the Supreme Court of Justice to urgently and favorably resolve the injunction filed by Zamora's defense in this second case.
Signatory organizations
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Free Press Unlimited
Fundamedios
ARTICLE 19 México y Centroamérica
Inter American Press Association (Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa)
Freedom House
Reporteros Sin Fronteras (RSF)
Protection International Mesoamérica
Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP)
