A Colombian judge on Monday convicted former President Alvaro Uribe of abuse of process and bribery of a public official in a long-running witness tampering case, making him the country’s first ex-president to ever be found guilty at trial.

BOGOTA (Reuters) -Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was sentenced by a judge on Friday to 12 years of house arrest for abuse of process and bribery of a public official, in a long-running case over connections to former right-wing paramilitaries.

Judge Sandra Heredia wants the sentence be applied immediately in what has become the most significant court case in recent Colombian history. But his defense said they will appeal