Colombian court overturns former president Alvaro Uribe's conviction

Alvaro Uribe was the country's first president to be criminally convicted, and faced 12 years' house arrest.

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Alvaro Uribe became the first Colombian leader to be criminally convicted after a trial in August in which a judge handed the 73-year-old the maximum sentence.

The case against him was linked to claims he ordered a lawyer to bribe jailed paramilitaries to discredit claims he had ties to their organisations. Uribe has always maintained his innocence.

The right-wing politician, who was president between 2002 and 2010, is best known for waging an aggressive offensive against left-wing Farc rebels and remains an influential figure in the South American nation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously criticised Uribe's conviction, arguing that his only crime "has been to tirelessly fight and defend his homeland".