Overview

• The Tribunal Superior de Bogotá ordered Uribe’s immediate release as it examines his appeal of a 12-year house-arrest conviction for fraud and witness bribery.
• The first-instance ruling also imposed a fine of more than 3,400 million Colombian pesos and barred him from exercising public functions for over eight years.
• The conviction, an uncommon ruling against a former Colombian president, spurred marches in major cities by supporters of Uribe.
• Uribe’s defense sought freedom through a constitutional amparo, arguing violations of presumption of innocence, liberty and due process, leading to release pending review.
• A judges’ rights NGO asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for precautionary measures for Judge Sandra Heredia, citing death threats and smear campaigns and urging swift domestic investigations.