Colombia ex-president Alvaro Uribe gets 12 years house arrest for bribery
The sentence, which Uribe said will be appealed against, followed a nearly six-month trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that he attempted to influence witnesses who accused the law-and-order leader of having links to a paramilitary group in the 1990s.
Uribe, 73, has denied any wrongdoing and characterised the case as 'political persecution'. He faced up to 12 years in prison after being convicted on Monday.
His lawyer had asked the court to allow Uribe to remain free while he appealed against the verdict. Judge Sandra Heredia on Friday said she did not grant the defence's request because it would be 'easy' for the former president to leave the country to 'evade the imposed sanction'.
Heredia also banned Uribe from holding public office for eight years and fined him about US$776,000.
A woman holds a sign with an image of Colombian ex-president Alvaro Uribe during his sentencing hearing in Bogotá on Friday. Photo: AFP
Ahead of Friday's sentencing hearing, Uribe posted on social media that he was preparing arguments to support his appeal. He added that one must 'think much more about the solution than the problem' during personal crises.
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