RSF - Reporters sans frontières
RSF - Reporters sans frontières
02/13/2026 | Press release | Archived content
Guatemala: RSF welcomes the release of Jose Rubén Zamora and calls for a definitive end to his legal persecution
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the release of journalist Jose Rubén Zamora on 12 February 2026, after more than three years of arbitrary detention in Guatemala. While hailing this significant step forward, RSF warns that Jose Rubén Zamora remains subject to restrictive measures and continues to be targeted by legal persecution. The NGO calls for his full and unconditional release, as well as the immediate dismissal of all abusive proceedings brought against him.
The iconic Guatemalan journalist and founder of the daily elPeriódico, Jose Rubén Zamora, was released after spending 1,295 days behind bars on 12 February, after a hearing that reviewed alternative methods of detention. Judge Maximino Morales granted him house arrest without police surveillance, on the condition that he report to Guatemala's Public Ministry twice a month. He is also forbidden from leaving the country. During the hearing, the Public Ministry insisted on maintaining his detention and went so far as to invoke the sentence lengths of crimes he has not been convicted of.
"Jose Rubén Zamora's release from prison is a relief and good news. RSF welcomes this decision, which is a significant step forward for press freedom. The NGO now calls for his definitive and unconditional release. The Zamora case is symbolic of how the criminal justice system is instrumentalised to silence critical voices. The NGO will continue to monitor the situation closely and calls on the Guatemalan authorities to fully respect due process and put an end to the criminalisation of independent journalism in the country once and for all.
Artur Romeu
Artur Romeu Director of RSF Latin America
Locked up in 2022, Jose Rubén Zamora has spent more than three years behind bars due to legal proceedings marked by irregularities, constantly changing judges and successive legal manoeuvres that led to a first release before he was sent back to prison in March 2025. RSF remains deeply concerned about the risk of new deliberate legal complications that could land him in jail yet again. The next hearing is scheduled for 31 March 2026, a key milestone in the ongoing case against the journalist.
Published on13.02.2026
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