Free Jose Rubén, guatemalan journalist, prisoner of conscience

Jose Rubén Zamora, a renowned Guatemalan journalist, has been unjustly detained for over two years. This prisoner of conscience is facing three baseless criminal charges solely for exposing corruption as part of his work as a journalist. We demand his immediate and unconditional release, and for the Public Prosecutor’s Office to drop all charges against him.  

What is the problem? 

Jose Rubén Zamora, 67, one of Guatemala’s most prominent journalists and director of the newspaper El Periódico, was arrested on July 29, 2022. Throughout his career, Jose Rubén has dedicated himself to investigative journalism, earning several prestigious awards. 

The Public Prosecutor’s Office has filed three separate criminal cases against him, potentially leading to several years in prison. Amnesty International has found not only that there is no evidence supporting these charges, but that the authorities have also committed numerous human rights violations against the journalist. 

On August 1, 2024, Amnesty International declared Jose Rubén Zamora a prisoner of conscience. United Nations experts have also condemned his arbitrary detention and called for his immediate release. However, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the judiciary continue to pursue politically motivated legal action against him. 

At the time of his arrest, El Periódico had published 144 reports of corruption attributed to the previous government in just 144 days. Jose Rubén Zamora’s case symbolizes the widespread criminalization of human rights defenders, justice officials, and journalists in Guatemala who expose corruption and impunity for human rights violations. 

What can you do to help?

Sign the petition and demand the immediate and unconditional release of Jose Rubén Zamora, and call on the Public Prosecutor’s Office to drop all charges against him.