Ex-French President Sarkozy Sentenced To Five Years For Criminal Conspiracy

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, 70, has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy.

He was cleared of charges including passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, and concealing the embezzlement of public funds.

The verdict stems from allegations that Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign was illegally financed by the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

In a rare move, the judge ruled that Sarkozy would serve his sentence even if he appeals, though the start date has not been set.  Sarkozy has vowed to challenge the ruling, calling it “a scandal”. He said:

“I ask the French people – whether they voted for me or not, whether they support me or not – to grasp what has just happened. Hatred truly knows no bounds.”

Sarkozy said the ruling damages confidence in the French justice system and vowed to continue fighting to prove his innocence. He added that if he must serve time in prison, he will do so with dignity.

The lengthy verdict suggested that Sarkozy and his co-defendants conspired to seek Libyan campaign funding, but it did not establish his personal involvement or that any money was actually used.

Sarkozy has a history of legal troubles. In 2021, he was found guilty of attempting to bribe a magistrate and was later sentenced to a year on electronic monitoring, partly suspended.

Last year, he was convicted of illegal campaign spending during his failed 2012 re-election bid and is currently appealing that sentence.

In the current case, Sarkozy had 11 co-defendants, including former ministers Claude Gueant and Brice Hortefeux, who were also found guilty of criminal conspiracy but cleared of other charges.

Despite his convictions, Sarkozy remains an influential figure in French politics.

More: Sky News