President of El Periódico de Guatemala serves five months in prison

The renowned journalist Guatemalan Jose Ruben Zamora Marroquin He served five months in preventive detention this Thursday since he was imprisoned on July 29 for an alleged case of money laundering.

The president and founder of the investigative outlet El Periódico was arrested just five days after publishing strong criticism of the government he presides over. Alejandro Giammatteiand the trial against him will begin in May 2023.

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For its part, the media outlet chaired by Zamora and his relatives have denounced that the journalist has not been given the floor on several occasions in the judicial process against him.

On December 22, the judge in charge of the case, Freddy Orellanacategorized as “lorgnette” the five witnesses that Zamora Marroquín proposed to try to dispel the accusation of money laundering and blackmail that the Public Ministry (MP, Prosecutor’s Office) has maintained since July.

The medium founded by Zamora Marroquín, 67, was recognized in 2021 with the King of Spain award for the outstanding medium in Ibero-America.

The journalist is in the prison of the Mariscal Zavala military barracks, in Guatemala City, along with dozens of former officials linked to corruption cases denounced in the pages of El Periódico.

The communicator defined his case as a “political persecution” orchestrated by the three powers of the State and assured that the accusation against him has many flaws.

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A procession of the Inter American Press Association (SIP), headed by its president, the American Michael Greensonattended the Judicial Branch of Guatemala on December 8 to observe the criminal proceedings against the journalist.

During 2022, the Guatemalan Association of Journalists (AGP) has registered 105 attacks against freedom of expression in the Central American country.

Source: Elcomercio

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