Colombian court Judgment Former President Álvaro Uribe has been sentenced to house arrest for 12 years due to charges related to manipulating home arrests and bribing public officials.
Moreover, Uribe is barred from public office for 100 months and 20 days, and he faces a fine of 2,420 minimum wages, translating to 3.4 billion Colombian pesos, which is roughly $840,000.
Judge Sandra Heredia announced the sentence after finding Uribe guilty of two out of three charges during a lengthy and complex trial process. This case was initiated due to accusations from various Colombian politicians and U.S. officials claiming that the charges were fabricated.
During the hearing, Judge Heredia stated that house arrest was “required” and ordered Uribe to serve his sentence at his home in Rionegro, Antioquia.
The saga began back in 2012 when Uribe filed a lawsuit against leftist Senator Iván Cepeda, who was accused of attempting to bribe witnesses against him. In 2018, a Colombian court dismissed Uribe’s allegations against Cepeda, leading to an investigation into Uribe himself, resulting in the controversial conviction.
“This all traces back to one of the closest lawmakers who learned revolutionary tactics in the Soviet Union,” Uribe said last week, suggesting political motivations behind the accusations against him. He claimed Cepeda sought testimonies linking Uribe to paramilitary activities for personal gain.
Uribe challenged the conviction in an online court session, passionately defending his integrity and integrity. He described the ruling as politically motivated and urged both local and international courts to reconsider the case.
“My reputation has been harmed painfully, and this was apparent during the proceedings,” Uribe stated at the hearing.
On Sunday, Uribe shared links to an appeal document alongside an online presentation made to the court.
His legal team maintains that Uribe’s presumption of innocence remains valid, as other avenues for appeal are still available.
Reports suggest that Uribe’s defense team plans to file a protection order with the Colombian Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn the house arrest ruling on Monday.
Senator Cepeda, who initiated the legal proceedings against Uribe, contended that there is a “campaign of persecution” directed at him and his political party, accusing them of trying to influence judicial outcomes.
He claimed that statements from Uribe’s allies in Washington are part of this alleged campaign, although he provided no evidence to support his claims.
The Democratic Center party announced plans for peaceful demonstrations in support of Uribe set for Thursday, asserting their commitment to democracy and freedom. Reports indicate that gatherings are scheduled across over 20 major Colombian cities and in five cities in Spain, including Miami, Houston, Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia.
