Virginia Laparra, a former anti-corruption prosecutor in Guatemala, has been sentenced to five years in prison for disclosing confidential information, a case that has drawn international criticism. Laparra, described as a “prisoner of conscience” by Amnesty International, has fled the country, fearing further persecution. She was allowed to remain under house arrest if she paid a fine. Laparra is one of several prosecutors who have investigated corruption in Guatemala and were arrested under Attorney General Consuelo Porras.
Porras, who was sanctioned by the United States in 2021, has been accused of undermining democracy. Laparra’s sentencing has been widely condemned as an attack on the rule of law and an example of political persecution. Guatemala’s Supreme Court ordered her release on house arrest last December, but she was handed a new sentence in another trial in 2022.
President Bernardo Arevalo, who campaigned on an anti-graft platform, expressed his support for Laparra and criticized the impunity of the corrupt in Guatemala. The US State Department has condemned Laparra’s sentencing as part of a pattern of egregious attacks on the rule of law. Laparra’s case highlights the challenges faced by those fighting corruption in Guatemala and the need for international support in upholding justice and human rights in the country.
Source
Photo credit www.hindustantimes.com