A Guatemalan tribunal has sentenced newspaper founder Jose Ruben Zamora to six years in prison in a money laundering case, concluding a trial that press freedom groups decried as a political persecution aimed at silencing a critical voice.
The three-judge panel convicted and sentenced the well-known journalist on a charge of money laundering that affected the national economy and stability of the financial system.
The tribunal cleared Mr Zamora of additional charges of blackmail and influence peddling.
Guatemala president Alejandro Giammattei, and specifically his justice system, have been criticised internationally for backsliding on democratic principles and weaponising the country’s prosecutors and courts to pursue perceived enemies.
“I am innocent of the crimes,” Mr Zamora said after his sentencing. “I continue being innocent and he (Giammattei) continues being a thief.”
Mr Giammattei has denied there was any political motivation.
Mr Zamora’s El Periodico newspaper was known as fiercely independent and published investigations about corruption in the administrations of Mr Giammattei and his predecessors. Mr Zamora’s work has been internationally recognised.
In his final comments to the court on Wednesday before the verdict was announced, Mr Zamora said that “all of my rights were violated” including the right to a defence. “They treated us like criminals, they destroyed evidence,” he said.
Several of his defence lawyers were arrested in the run-up to the trial.
After the hearing, Rafael Curruchiche, the Attorney General’s special prosecutor against impunity who brought the charges against Mr Zamora, was visibly upset and raised his voice, insisting that prosecutors would likely appeal against the sentence and ask for the 40-year sentence they had originally requested.
He said the prison time that Mr Zamora would get is compensation for those whose “name and reputation” he and his newspaper destroyed.
The charges stemmed from Mr Zamora (66) asking a friend to deposit a $38,000 donation to keep the newspaper going rather than depositing it himself.
Mr Zamora has said he did so because the donor did not want to be identified supporting an outlet in the sights of Mr Giammattei.
The tribunal fined Mr Zamora an equal amount on Wednesday.
With Mr Zamora in jail, El Periodico was forced to stop publishing a print edition on November 30th due to its financial difficulties. The outlet halted operations altogether on May 15th.
Last month, the Guatemalan Association of Journalists said that at least 20 journalists have been forced to flee the country in recent years.
Following the sentence on Wednesday, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the proceeding.
Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJ’s programme director, said the “shameful” sentence was part of attempts by Mr Giammattei’s government to “criminalise journalism” and that it signalled an erosion of free speech in Guatemala.
“Guatemalan officials must end the absurd charade of criminal proceedings against him. It is time for Jose Ruben Zamora to be released, for his only ‘crime’ has been the fearless exercise of his profession.”
