Guatemala court blocks president's expulsion of UN team

Guatemala's highest court issued a ruling Wednesday blocking President Jimmy Morales' decision to unilaterally end a UN anti-corruption commission.

The commission, known by its Spanish initials as CICIG, has angered Morales by investigating him, his sons and his brother on accusations of corruption, which they deny.

Guatemala's Constitutional Court overruled Morales' decision after all-night deliberations on five appeals against the president's cancellation of the agreement with the United Nations.

Hours later, Guatemala's Supreme Court announced that it would let a petition by a group of lawyers to strip the Constitutional Court justices of their immunity from prosecution advance to the nation's congress.

Supreme Court spokesman Mario Siekavizza said late Wednesday the lawyers were accusing the constitutional justices of interfering in the president's foreign policy decisions.

The congress has the power to lift the justices' immunity and Morales and his allies control a majority of the votes.

It was not immediately clear what could happen if the nation's top court was suddenly open to investigation.

Morales has argued the commission had violated Guatemala's sovereignty and violated the rights of suspects.

Given the government's refusal to guarantee the commission's security, the UN has withdrawn the commission's members.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations would not comment on the court's ruling, calling it an "internal legal issue."
Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has made clear that the UN expects Guatemala's government to respect its commitment for the commission to continue working until September 2019, and that includes "ensuring the safety and security of all staffers."
"If it doesn't obey, that is a whole other matter, and would constitute a coup, because the cornerstone of the rule of law is respect for the judicial branch."