The Tribunal Superior de Bogotá on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, ruling that the 73-year-old can remain free while it hears his appeal. The three-judge panel granted a tutela filed by Uribe, finding that his fundamental right to liberty had been violated, and directed Judge Sandra Heredia to issue the liberation order without delay. Uribe had been placed under house arrest on 1 August after Heredia sentenced him to 12 years for procedural fraud and witness tampering in a landmark first-instance verdict against a Colombian ex-head of state. Uribe, who denies wrongdoing, appealed the ruling; the tribunal has until 16 October to confirm the conviction, overturn it or declare the case void, according to the court’s timetable. The decision comes amid heightened tensions around the proceedings. A judicial-rights group has asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to grant precautionary measures for Judge Heredia after she reported death threats following the verdict. The high-profile case continues to polarize Colombian politics, where Uribe remains a leading opposition figure to President Gustavo Petro.