BUENOS AIRES - Argentina's Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the six-year prison sentence for former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner over irregularities in public works contracts during her time in office.

The country's highest court rejected an appeal filed by Fernandez's legal team against lower-court rulings, confirming both the prison term and her lifetime ban from holding public office.

The ruling stemmed from the so-called "Vialidad case", which investigated the awarding of 51 road construction contracts in the southern province of Santa Cruz to companies owned by businessman Lazaro Baez during the administrations of Nestor Kirchner (2003-2007) and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (2007-2015), the widow of Nestor Kirchner.

Fernandez has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and described the legal proceedings as politically motivated persecution.