The Criminal Chamber of the Superior Tribunal of Bogotá has ordered the immediate release of former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, annulling the house arrest imposed on August 1st following his initial conviction and 12-year sentence for procedural fraud and corruption. The court ruled that the deprivation of liberty was not justified, noting that Uribe had consistently responded to judicial summons and defended himself while free. The decision comes after a legal action filed by his defense to protect his fundamental rights to dignity, liberty, and the presumption of innocence.
Uribe’s defense had appealed the initial 12-year prison sentence, which had justified his house arrest, calling it “wrong and unjust.” The Criminal Chamber found that the immediate detention did not meet the criteria of necessity, proportionality, and reasonableness. According to major Colombian media outlets, the ruling has provoked mixed reactions. Senator Iván Cepeda, who was the victim in the investigation into the manipulation of false witnesses, stated he would abide by but not agree with the verdict: “We victims have always respected judicial decisions. We abide by this one, but we do not share it.” Uribe, who was under house arrest at his residence in Rionegro, is now free pending the outcome of his appeal.
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