Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison after a Paris court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case involving illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The 70-year-old, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, was acquitted of other charges, including passive corruption and illegal campaign financing. The court also imposed a €100,000 fine.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday, marks a historic moment as Sarkozy becomes the first former French president to face immediate jail time, though he plans to appeal. The court determined that Sarkozy allowed close aides to liaise with Libyan officials to secure financial support for his 2007 election campaign. However, it found insufficient evidence to prove he directly benefited from the illegal funds. In exchange for the alleged funds, prosecutors claimed Sarkozy promised to improve Gaddafi’s reputation in the West.
Sarkozy denounced the verdict as a grave injustice, stating, “What happened today is of extreme gravity in regard to the rule of law, and for the trust one can have in the justice system.” He vowed to maintain his dignity, saying, “If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high.”
The investigation, launched in 2013, stemmed from allegations by Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, and Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, who claimed Sarkozy’s campaign received €50 million from Libya. Others implicated in the trial included former interior ministers Claude Gueant, found guilty of corruption, and Brice Hortefeux, convicted of criminal conspiracy. Sarkozy’s wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, faces related charges, which she denies.
This conviction adds to Sarkozy’s legal troubles. In 2021, he became the first former French president to receive a custodial sentence for attempting to bribe a judge, though he was allowed to serve it at home with an electronic tag. In 2024, he appealed a one-year sentence for overspending on his 2012 re-election campaign.
