UN, EU blast weakening of Guatemala anti-corruption efforts

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The United Nations and the European Union have condemned attacks on prosecutors and the weakening of anti-corruption efforts in Guatemala.  Volker Turk, who heads the U.N.’s human rights office, condemned charges the Guatemalan government has brought against former prosecutors and whistleblowers like Virginia Laparra. Laparra is a former prosecutor who was sentenced to four years in prison last week for abuse of authority, after she accused a judge of leaking sensitive information. The administration of President Alejandro Giammattei has brought charges against a number of former anti-corruption officials and judges, leading many of them to flee the country.