Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Sentenced to Five Years in Prison in Libya Campaign Case

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison by a Paris court after being found guilty of conspiring with Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi to secure illegal funding for his 2007 election campaign. The verdict marks an unprecedented moment in French politics, making Sarkozy one of the few former leaders in modern Europe to face a custodial sentence.

The court also imposed a fine of €100,000. While Sarkozy was not taken into custody immediately, the judges ruled that he must serve his sentence even if he chooses to appeal. This decision departs from the norm, as defendants in such cases are usually allowed to remain free until appeal proceedings conclude.

The case centred on allegations that Sarkozy’s campaign benefited from covert Libyan financing in exchange for political favours. Investigators said close aides maintained contact with Gaddafi’s regime between 2005 and 2007. However, the court noted that it could not definitively prove that Libyan money was actually channelled into Sarkozy’s campaign or that he personally managed the funds.

Despite these uncertainties, judges concluded that Sarkozy’s involvement amounted to a conspiracy. He was acquitted of three other charges, including illegal campaign financing, passive corruption, and concealing embezzled public funds. Two of his close allies, former ministers Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, were also convicted of criminal association for their role in the scheme.

Reacting strongly to the judgment, Sarkozy denounced it as a miscarriage of justice, declaring that he would fight the ruling “until the end.” He insisted he was innocent and described the verdict as a dangerous precedent for French democracy.

The ruling, likely to trigger a lengthy appeals process, has sent shockwaves through France’s political establishment and reignited debates over corruption and accountability at the highest levels of government.