Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy related to allegations that his 2007 presidential campaign received millions of euros in funding from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s government.
The Paris court ruled that Sarkozy allowed his close aides to contact Libyan officials to secure campaign financing in exchange for diplomatic favors.
Despite being acquitted of corruption and illegal campaign financing charges, Sarkozy’s conviction for criminal conspiracy carries a significant sentence.
The court ordered him to pay a fine of €100,000 and ruled that he will remain detained even if he appeals the decision.
Sarkozy, 70, has denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated. “If they absolutely want me to sleep in prison, I will sleep in prison. But with my head held high. I am innocent. This injustice is a scandal,” he said after the verdict.
This conviction adds to Sarkozy’s growing list of legal troubles. In 2021, he became the first French president since World War II to be sentenced to jail when he received a one-year term for corruption, which he served at home with an electronic tag.
Last year, an appeals court confirmed a separate conviction for illegal campaign financing over his failed 2012 re-election bid.
