In Colombia, judge orders release of ex-president from house arrest
A Colombian judge has ordered that former President Alvaro Uribe be released from house arrest, two months after he was held over allegations of witness tampering and procedural fraud, in the first ever such ruling in the country’s modern history.
Uribe, who was president from 2002 to 2010, is accused of attempting to bribe and sway witnesses in a dispute with leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda.
The former president, now serving as a senator, has repeatedly declared his innocence in the case and questioned the court’s independence.
The Supreme Court ordered his arrest in August, saying magistrates had found “possible risks” of obstruction of justice as they continued to investigate accusations against Uribe.
The court’s decision sparked protests in the capital Bogota, with protesters celebrating his arrest, while Uribe’s supporters also gathered in their cars to protest the ruling.
On Saturday, municipal Judge Clara Salcedo ruled that the prior ruling could not be upheld under a new legal framework under which the former president is being investigated since resigning his Senate seat after his detention.
During the virtual hearing, Uribe's lawyer argued that because the former president is only under investigation and has not been charged he should be feed.
Prosecutor Gabriel Ramon Jaimes agreed, telling the judge he believed that Uribe’s due process rights had been violated.
Jaimes assured that prosecutors will advance their investigation fairly.
“My request today is not a prelude of procedural steps still to come,” he said. “There will be no impunity. There will be justice.”
The former president reacted to the ruling that was made during a virtual hearing, writing on Twitter, “Thank God.”
Uribe’s case began in 2012, when he accused leftist Cepeda of orchestrating a plot to tie him to right-wing paramilitary groups. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the allegations, saying that Uribe himself was at fault.
He faces prison terms of up to 12 years.
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