Argentine vice president calls court 'firing squad' in corruption case

By Bala Chambers

BUENOS AIRES (AA) - Argentinian Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner characterized a court case against her as "firing squad" on Tuesday.

"When I spoke of 'lawfare' I was very generous -- this court is a firing squad," de Kirchner said while addressing the court from her office via Zoom.

Speaking for the last time before next week's verdict, the vice president reiterated that "this is more than a lawfare court, it is a true firing squad" and alleged that the sentence against her "is already written"

De Kirchner also hit out at prosecutors, alleging they "lied" and questioned whether a democratically-elected government could be considered an illicit association.

She likened the case to an attempted assassination on her life Sept. 1.

De Kirchner claimed the judiciary is fulfilling "the role of conditioning, blocking, possibilities of expression and stigmatizing and disciplining the leaders in the Argentine Republic."

Federal prosecutors accuse de Kirchner of awarding fraudulent and overpriced public works contracts in the southern province of Santa Cruz during her two-term tenure as president from 2007 - 2015 and have been pushing for a 12-year jail sentence and a lifetime ban from holding public office.

Many of the contracts allegedly benefitted close allies of the Kirchner family, with some already convicted of corruption.