Why only Nukta, Mr. Minister? Media workers question government's selective support Information Minister Tarar announces jobs for all 37 laid off Nukta employees Faisal Chaudhry’s viral one-liner on G for Gharidah steals the show A digital dream falters: Nukta cuts 37 jobs in Pakistan after only one year Pulitzer Center offers global grants for in-depth journalism CPJ urges probe after journalist Rana Ayyub receives death threats in India Talat Hussain says offensive viral clip was edited out, not aired on Samaa TV Moldovan journalist Mariana Rață receives death threat after interview PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007 emergency as Pakistan’s darkest day Indonesia’s agriculture minister faces backlash over lawsuit against Tempo
Journalism Pakistan
Journalism Pakistan

UN group says detention of Guatemalan journalist Zamora violates international law

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published last year

Join our WhatsApp channel

UN group says detention of Guatemalan journalist Zamora violates international law

MEXICO CITY—The Committee to Protect Journalists has welcomed the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention's Monday declaration that the continued imprisonment of Guatemalan investigative journalist Jose Ruben Zamora is arbitrary and in violation of international law. CPJ echoes the group's call for Zamora's immediate release.

"The U.N. Working Group's acknowledgment of Jose Ruben Zamora's arbitrary detention highlights that he has been consistently denied a fair trial, and there is no justification for his ongoing imprisonment," said Cristina Zahar, CPJ's Latin America program coordinator, from Sao Paulo. "Zamora's prosecution was a retaliatory measure for his investigative reporting on government corruption, and he has faced an abusive judicial process driven by individuals also accused of corruption. His imprisonment has been unjust from the start."

Zamora, the president of elPeriodico newspaper, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in June 2023 on money laundering charges widely condemned as retaliation for his journalism. An appeals court overturned Zamora's conviction in October 2023 and ordered a retrial, but numerous delays have been imposed. He has been in detention since his July 2022 arrest.

A February report by the global monitoring group TrialWatch assigned a failing grade to Zamora's legal proceedings, citing numerous breaches of international and regional fair-trial standards.

Monday's opinion, endorsed by four international experts from the working group, examined the judicial process and the broader context of Zamora's case, including prosecutors' public statements, and recommended that Guatemalan authorities immediately release Zamora and compensate him.

The opinion highlighted the "widespread concern within the international community about the criminalization and prosecution of judges, prosecutors, journalists (including Mr. Zamora's case), and human rights defenders in the context of the fight against corruption in Guatemala." This included a pattern of investigating and criminalizing Zamora's lawyers, the opinion said.—A CPJ Statement/Photo: AFP

Read Next

Newsroom
Six journalists summoned in Turkey over coverage of detained opposition mayor

Six journalists summoned in Turkey over coverage of detained opposition mayor

 November 07, 2025 Six Turkish journalists have been summoned over coverage of opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, raising fresh concerns about press freedom and political repression in Turkey.


Record journalist deaths in Gaza highlight deepening impunity crisis

Record journalist deaths in Gaza highlight deepening impunity crisis

 November 07, 2025 Over 285 journalists have been killed in Gaza since 2023, exposing a severe impunity crisis and raising calls for global action to protect press freedom.


Arab states tighten digital content laws, raising concerns over press freedom

Arab states tighten digital content laws, raising concerns over press freedom

 November 07, 2025 Arab states are tightening digital content laws, with new regulations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt raising fresh concerns about media freedom and online expression.


Why only Nukta, Mr. Minister? Media workers question government's selective support

Why only Nukta, Mr. Minister? Media workers question government's selective support

 November 06, 2025 Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s job offer to Nukta staff draws criticism as hundreds of journalists across Pakistan face layoffs, salary delays, and job insecurity.


Information Minister Tarar announces jobs for all 37 laid-off Nukta employees

Information Minister Tarar announces jobs for all 37 laid-off Nukta employees

 November 06, 2025 Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announces jobs for 37 laid-off Nukta employees, saying they will be placed at digital platforms within 48 hours amid growing media uncertainty.