Guatemala’s supreme court orders release of anti-corruption prosecutor
Guatemala’s supreme court has directed the release of former anti-corruption prosecutor Virginia Laparra, igniting both local and international discussions on justice and democracy. Laparra, 43, had been sentenced to four years in prison for abuse of authority in a trial that drew sharp condemnation from the global community.
The criminal chamber of the court, in a decision transmitted by the press and verified by Laparra’s legal representatives, declared an end to “the preventive detention of the accused.”
Notably, the court factored in the nearly ten months Laparra had already spent in custody before her sentencing on December 16, 2022.
The court issued a directive for the implementation of its ruling within the next five days, signaling a swift response to the controversial case. Laparra, who once spearheaded the Quetzaltenango region of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI), found herself behind bars in February 2022, seemingly in retaliation for her anti-corruption endeavors.
Her conviction, specifically for “abuse of authority,” carried a four-year commutable term under Guatemalan law. The possibility of a reduced sentence through the payment of a fine was contingent upon the finalization of her conviction, a process that garnered disapproval from influential voices such as the United States, the European Union, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations.
Virginia Laparra faces a second trial in Quetzaltenango for alleged disclosure of confidential information. However, the commencement of proceedings remains uncertain as the prosecution seeks to replace the presiding judge, who granted Laparra house arrest in July. Despite the house arrest order, she continued to be held in confinement within a military barracks in the capital.
Laparra is among several former prosecutors who faced arrest after investigating corruption cases, a crackdown orchestrated by attorney general Consuelo Porras. Porras, previously sanctioned by the United States in 2021 for being listed as “corrupt” and “undemocratic,” is accused of undermining democracy through investigations into alleged irregularities in the August election won by opposition candidate Bernardo Arevalo.
The actions of the Guatemalan attorney general’s office, as scrutinized by Washington, are perceived as attempts to hinder the incoming president-elect, Arevalo, set to assume power on January 14.
Guatemala’s ranking of 30th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s corruption index further intensifies concerns about the state of democracy and accountability in the Central American nation.