Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case concerning suspected illegal campaign funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy, 70, was accused of financing his 2007 presidential campaign with millions in illicit funds from Libya in exchange for diplomatic favours. On Thursday, a Paris court confirmed his conviction, though he was acquitted of other charges including corruption, embezzlement of public funds and receiving stolen goods. According to Le Monde, he will be summoned within a month to learn the date of his incarceration, even if he appeals. The former president, who has consistently denied wrongdoing, described the case as politically motivated.
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Speaking defiantly after the verdict, Sarkozy said he would comply with the court’s decision but maintained his innocence: “If they absolutely want me to sleep in prison, I will sleep in prison. But with my head held high. I am innocent.” He condemned the ruling as a “scandal” and insisted he would continue to fight “until my last breath” to clear his name. The case also involved 11 co-defendants, among them Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, who had previously claimed he delivered €5m (£4.4m) in cash from Tripoli to Sarkozy’s team but later retracted and contradicted his statements. Takieddine died this week in Beirut, aged 75.
Judge Nathalie Gavarino said there was no direct proof that Sarkozy himself received money from Libya, but concluded he was guilty of allowing close aides to engage with Libyan officials to secure campaign financing. The accusations first surfaced in 2011, when Gaddafi alleged that his regime had secretly funnelled funds into Sarkozy’s campaign. Sarkozy has since faced a series of legal challenges, including a conviction for corruption in 2021 which required him to wear an electronic tag for several months.
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Despite being stripped of the Legion of Honour and facing repeated trials, Sarkozy continues to wield some influence within French politics. He and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, were recently seen among the guests at the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral. In a separate case linked to overspending during his failed 2012 re-election bid, Sarkozy was sentenced last year to a year in prison, half of which was suspended. He has appealed that ruling and continues to deny all allegations.
