Colombian court orders the immediate release of former President Álvaro Uribe

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez was released on Tuesday following a decision by the Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Bogotá, which revoked the house arrest order issued on August 1.

With this resolution, the high court ordered that the provision requiring the immediate deprivation of liberty of the former president be left without effect while the appeal of the sentence was being processed. In its ruling, the institution determined that it should "protect the fundamental right to individual liberty of Álvaro Uribe Vélez," which meant his release after 19 days of confinement at his home.

A historic case in Colombia

Uribe's conviction set an unparalleled precedent in the country's political history as the first former Colombian president to receive a prison sentence. The August 1 ruling, issued by a lower court, sentenced him to 12 years in prison for allegedly tampering with witnesses in judicial proceedings and for procedural fraud.

The former president remained under house arrest while his legal team filed appeals to reverse the decision. One of these appeals, a tutela, was key for the Superior Court to reconsider the measure and rule in his favor.

Álvaro Uribe's reaction after regaining his freedom

After the decision of the Bogotá High Court was announced, the former president posted a message on his X account. In his message, he wrote: “Thank God, thank you to so many compatriots for your expressions of solidarity. I will dedicate every minute of my freedom to the freedom of Colombia.”