Guatemalan judge grants investigative journalist Zamora house arrest and his family celebrates

Associated Press

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The family of a Guatemalan journalist has celebrated his transfer to house arrest following his jailing for over two years amid his newspaper’s anti-corruption investigations. José Rubén Zamora, the founder of newspaper El Periódico, was released from jail Saturday evening. The daily specialized in anti-corruption reporting before closing a year ago. Judge Erick García Alvarado ruled that Zamora should be released because his preventive arrest in one of the cases had already expired. International organizations were making pressure for Friday’s hearing to take place so the journalist could be released. His family celebrated on Saturday.