Overview

• Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia of the 44th Criminal Circuit Court found former President Álvaro Uribe guilty of abuse of process and bribery of a public official.
• Uribe became the first former Colombian head of state ever to be convicted in a criminal trial.
• Prosecutors presented testimony from more than 90 witnesses and evidence that Uribe sought to pressure jailed ex-paramilitary fighters into altering their statements.
• Each conviction carries a prison term of six to 12 years, and Uribe has the right to appeal before learning his sentence at a later hearing.
• Supporters of Uribe’s Democratic Centre party denounce the trial as political persecution, while opponents describe the verdict as overdue accountability for alleged paramilitary collusion.