Guatemalan jailed journalist José Zamora granted house arrest after 2 years behind bars

The prominent journalist is the founder of the now-defunct El Periódico newspaper and has investigated successive governments.

GUATEMALA CITY — A Guatemalan judge on Friday ruled that jailed journalist José Zamora can leave prison and be held in house arrest after over 800 days behind bars.

Zamora, a well-known journalist who founded the now-defunct El Periódico newspaper and whose work has criticized successive governments, was arrested in July 2022 on money laundering charges.

He has argued that he was a political prisoner due to his work.

Zamora was in 2023 sentenced to six years in prison for money laundering. An appeals court later overturned the conviction and ordered a new trial for 2025.

Judge Erick Garcia on Friday argued that Zamora’s time in preventative prison had reached its limit, in line with human rights standards.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/zamora-guatemala-house-arrest-rcna177263

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