Court Sentences Argentine Vice President To 6 Years In Prison, Bans Her From Public Office

 The court of first instance sentenced the vice-president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in the case of corruption to six years in prison and deprived her of the right to hold public office for life.

"To sentence Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to six years for fraud," the judge's verdict read.

In late August, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 12 years in prison for Kirchner. She is accused of corruption during her tenure as president during infrastructure work in the province of Santa Cruz in favor of entrepreneur Lazaro Baez. In addition, the prosecutor demanded to deprive Kirchner of the right to hold public office for life.

Other defendants also received prison terms, including Baez himself and several ex-officials.

The vice president has repeatedly declared her innocence. She previously called her trial a "firing squad."

Argentine criminal defense lawyer Flavio Andres Garisoine told Sputnik that Kirchner, despite her sentence, could run in the next presidential election in the country as not all the courts have passed the verdict and the sentence is not final yet.