Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was sentenced Friday to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and bribery in a historic case that gripped the South American nation and tarnished the conservative strongman's legacy.

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, 73, has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest for abuse of process and bribery of a public official, marking the first conviction of a former Colombian head of state.

His trial gripped the country, tarnishing the legacy of a politician credited by many for saving the country from becoming a failed state.