Guatemala court strikes down money laundering sentence against well-known journalist

FILE PHOTO: Journalist Jose Ruben Zamora Marroquin, founder and president of the newspaper elPeriodico, attends his court hearing, in Guatemala City, Guatemala June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Luis Echeverria

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A Guatemalan court has struck down a six-year sentence for money laundering against journalist Jose Zamora and ordered a new trial be prepared, Zamora's son told Reuters on Friday.

Zamora is a well-known journalist whose work has criticized successive governments, and the case sparked outcry from rights groups who branded the case an attack on free speech.