Virginia Laparra spent two years in prison after reporting her suspicion that a judge leaked sealed details of a caseA Guatemalan anti-corruption prosecutor forced into exile after being pursued by the country’s conservative elite has said that leaving the country was the only way to save her life but was only “a little bit less than death”.Virginia Laparra, 45, spent two years in prison for allegedly abusing her position after she reported her suspicion that a judge had leaked sensitive details from a sealed corruption case to a colleague in 2017. Continue reading...
A Guatemalan anti-corruption prosecutor, Virginia Laparra, was forced into exile after facing persecution from the country’s conservative elite. Laparra described exile as “a little bit less than death,” emphasizing that it was the only way to save her life after years of targeted harassment. She was arrested, held in solitary confinement for five months, and later placed under house arrest. Despite these challenges, Laparra has been recognized for her work, receiving the Sir Henry Brooke award for human rights defenders. Human rights groups have expressed concern over the systematic criminalization of anti-corruption activists in Guatemala.
