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

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.

“We are imposing house arrest,” Garcia said in his ruling. “He is also forbidden to leave the country without judicial authorization.”

“I am very satisfied. I appreciate what is happening,” Zamora said after the decision.

The United Nations in August said Zamora was being held in conditions that may amount to torture, citing a report from a panel of experts, and called on authorities to address allegations of inhumane conditions.