Colombia's ex-president Alvaro Uribe sentenced to 12 years of house arrest

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was sentenced to 12 years of house arrest in the first instance after being found guilty of witness tampering and procedural fraud, becoming the first former head of state in the country's history to be criminally convicted.

Judge Sandra Heredia delivered the sentence on Friday in Bogota, ordering Uribe to serve his term at his residence in Rionegro, Antioquia department. He is also barred from holding public office for more than eight years and was fined approximately 3.4 billion Colombian pesos.