Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison after a Paris court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy linked to alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 election campaign. The dramatic ruling marks the first time a former French head of state faces incarceration following a corruption conviction.
The 70-year-old, who led France from 2007 to 2012, was cleared of charges of passive corruption and illegal campaign financing. However, Judge Nathalie Gavarino concluded that Sarkozy enabled his aides to court Libyan officials for illicit financial support, describing the scheme as a serious breach of democratic integrity. He was also fined €100,000.
A visibly defiant Sarkozy denounced the ruling outside the courthouse, calling it “extremely serious for the rule of law” and insisting the prosecution was politically motivated. “If they want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high,” he declared, while confirming plans to appeal.
The case has been unfolding for more than a decade, fueled by allegations from Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and testimony from Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, who claimed Tripoli funneled up to €50 million into Sarkozy’s campaign. Former interior minister Claude Guéant was also convicted of corruption, while ex-minister Brice Hortefeux was found guilty of conspiracy.
Sarkozy’s conviction deepens his troubled post-presidency, adding to previous guilty verdicts for attempting to bribe a judge in 2014 and overspending during his failed 2012 re-election bid. The ruling, greeted with audible shock in court, cements his fall from grace and underscores the far-reaching consequences of illicit political financing in French politics.
