Guatemala City, March 10 (Reuters) - A Guatemalan judge has ordered journalist Jose Zamora, a prominent figure and founder of the now-defunct elPeriodico newspaper, back to jail on Monday. The decision is a result of money laundering charges that Zamora has labeled as political persecution and dismissed.
Judge Erick Garcia mandated Zamora's return to pre-trial detention, overturning a previous allowance granted after Zamora had already spent 800 days behind bars. Zamora criticized the ruling as "arbitrary" during his court appearance, stating that the judge felt compelled to make that decision.
"They left him cornered with no way out," Zamora noted.
During the proceedings, Judge Garcia mentioned being threatened along with his staff by undisclosed individuals but did not provide further details.
The higher court had issued its decision in November, which Zamora’s legal team managed to delay its enforcement over the past few months.
In 2023, Zamora was found guilty of money laundering charges and sentenced to six years in prison. However, an appeals court later overturned the verdict, setting a new trial for 2025.
Under Zamora's leadership, elPeriodico conducted significant corruption investigations that scrutinized various governments over a period of three decades, receiving accolades for its groundbreaking reporting. In 2022, just before his initial arrest, Zamora publicly criticized then-President Alejandro Giammattei.
Giammattei, who appointed the current Attorney General Consuelo Porras, has encountered criticism due to allegations of corruption by the U.S. government. Porras has overseen Zamora's prosecution and opposed the previous request for house arrest.