World News | Guatemala Convicts Renowned Journalist Jose Ruben Zamora of Money Laundering

Guatemala City, Jun 14 (AP) A Guatemalan tribunal convicted newspaper founder and editor Jose Ruben Zamora on Wednesday of money laundering, concluding a trial press freedom groups decried as a political persecution aimed at silencing a critical voice.

Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei, and specifically his justice system, have been criticised internationally for backsliding on democratic principles and weaponising the country's prosecutors and courts to pursue perceived enemies.

Also Read | Google Should Break Up Digital Ad Business Over Competition Concerns, Say European Union Regulators.

Giammattei has denied there was any political motivation.

Zamora's El Periodico newspaper was known as fiercely independent and published investigations about corruption in the administrations of Giammattei and his predecessors. Zamora's work has been internationally recognised.

Also Read | P!nk Visits Indian Restaurant Asha in Birmingham and Shares Pic With Staff! Check Out What the 'Try' Singer Ordered.

The three-judge panel cleared Zamora of additional charges of blackmail and influence peddling.

In his final comments to the court on Wednesday before the verdict was announced, Zamora maintained his innocence and called for the court to release him, saying, “all of my rights were violated”.

He said the government did not allow him the right to a defence. “They treated us like criminals, they destroyed evidence,” he said.

Several of his defense lawyers were arrested in the run-up to the trial. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)