Former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe Vélez was sentenced on Friday to 12 years of house arrest and fined about COP 3.2 billion (US$578,000) after a Bogotá court found him guilty of bribery in criminal proceedings and abuse of process. The ruling, read by Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia of the 44th Penal Circuit, also bars the 73-year-old from holding public office for more than eight years, making Uribe the first head of state in Colombia’s history to receive a criminal conviction. The verdict stems from a long-running witness-tampering investigation that began in 2012. Prosecutors argued that Uribe instructed lawyer Diego Cadena to offer money and legal favours to jailed paramilitary fighters so they would retract statements linking the former president to right-wing militias active in Antioquia when he was governor. Testimony from former combatants and phone records convinced the court that Uribe attempted to obstruct justice and manipulate evidence during the probe. Uribe, who maintains his innocence, denounced the ruling as politically motivated and said he will appeal. His legal team has until 13 August to file before the Criminal Chamber of Bogotá’s Superior Court assigns a new panel. The conviction deepens Colombia’s political polarisation ahead of the 2026 presidential race, where several of Uribe’s allies are expected to compete, and adds to regional precedents of former leaders facing judicial accountability.