Guatemalan Journalist José Rubén Zamora Released After Nearly Two Years in Jail

A Guatemalan court has ordered the release of journalist José Rubén Zamora, who has been jailed for almost two years on money laundering charges. The charges were widely seen as politically motivated, with press freedom groups decrying his prosecution.

A Guatemalan court ordered the release of journalist José Rubén Zamora on Wednesday, nearly two years after he was jailed on money laundering charges.

Zamora, the 67-year-old founder of El Periodico newspaper, was sentenced to six years in prison last June for alleged money laundering. However, that conviction and sentence were overturned by another court, and a new trial was ordered.

For nearly two years, Zamora has been behind bars. But on Wednesday, a judge ruled that there was no longer justification to keep him in jail, noting that he was not considered a flight risk or a threat to the investigation.

Zamora will remain free on conditional release until his new trial begins. He has been ordered to post a bond of nearly $4,800.

During Wednesday's hearing, Zamora asserted that he has been a victim of "attacks, abductions, and aggressions" throughout his career as a journalist.

His defense attorney, Cristina Gómez, has argued that Zamora's detention was arbitrary.

Guatemala's former human rights ombudsman, Jorge Duque, has agreed to guarantee Zamora's appearance at future hearings.

The charges against Zamora stem from him asking a friend to deposit a $38,000 donation to keep El Periodico going rather than depositing it himself.

Zamora has said that he did this because the donor did not want to be identified supporting an outlet that was facing criticism from then-President Alejandro Giammattei.

El Periodico has published numerous investigations that have been critical of Giammattei.

Press freedom groups have decried Zamora's prosecution as politically motivated.

On Tuesday, the foundation of Nobel Prize-winning writer Gabriel García Márquez awarded its excellence in journalism prize to Zamora.

Zamora's release is seen as a victory for press freedom in Guatemala. However, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to continue his work as a journalist without facing further persecution.