We share the statement of Convergencia por los Derechos Humanos, in solidarity with the pursuit of democracy, freedom of expression and non-criminalization of human rights defenders.

In view of the raids on El Periódico, the arrest of its President and the Prosecutor Samari Gómez

We denounce: the arbitrary action of the Public Prosecutor’s Office that puts itself at the service of the operators of the Pact of the Corrupt and carries out an operation for a case already dismissed and that ElPeriódico denounced, as a pretext to criminalize.
We repudiate: the illegal detention of ElPeriódico staff, the capture of José Rubén Zamora and Samari Gómez, as well as the mounting of criminal cases for the purpose of criminalizing and repressing the independent press.
We demand: the freedom of El Periódico staff, José Rubén Zamora and Samari Gómez, as well as respect for their integrity and an end to the spurious persecution of dissident voices.

We call on Guatemalan society to stand in solidarity with those criminalized and to defend their rights in the face of arbitrariness and tyranny.

Guatemala, July 29, 2022.

Read the statement in Spanish

Image with logos of he organizations above. Below the following text: In view of the raids on El Periódico, the arrest of its President and the Prosecutor Samari Gómez We denounce: the arbitrary action of the Public Prosecutor's Office that puts itself at the service of the operators of the #corruptpact and carries out an operation for a case already dismissed and that ElPeriódico denounced, as a pretext to criminalize. We repudiate: the illegal detention of ElPeriódico staff, the capture of José Rubén Zamora and Samari Gómez, as well as the mounting of criminal cases for the purpose of criminalizing and repressing the independent press. We demand: the freedom of El Periódico staff, José Rubén Zamora and Samari Gómez, as well as respect for their integrity and an end to the spurious persecution of dissident voices. We call on Guatemalan society to stand in solidarity with those criminalized and to defend their rights in the face of arbitrariness and tyranny. Guatemala, July 29, 2022.