QUITO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador's former vice-president, Jorge Glas, on Friday appealed the six-year prison sentence handed down against him in December, for illicit association with the Odebrecht corruption scandal.

His defense attorney, Eduardo Franco, filed the appeal at Ecuador's supreme court (CNJ) in Quito, before telling the press "we have presented the appeal recourse to the wicked and barbaric sentence."

Franco indicated that the appeal sought to annul the sentence and free Glas, who has been detained since October.

"We hope the court...invalidates this proceeding and provides immediate freedom to Jorge Glas, who was sentenced in an absurd manner."

Glas was sentenced to six years in prison on Dec. 13, after having been found guilty of receiving 13.5 million U.S. dollars in bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for five state contracts between 2012 and 2016.

Glas' uncle, Ricardo Rivera, was also jailed for having acted as a middle man.

Glas was vice-president to the current President, Lenin Moreno, and his predecessor, Rafael Correa.