Sarkozy, the Former French President, Was Sentenced to Five Years in Prison in The Libya Fund Case
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced on Thursday to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy linked to alleged attempts to secure campaign financing from Libya. The ruling makes him the first former French leader to be sentenced to actual jail time.
The Paris court delivered a harsher sentence than many anticipated. Sarkozy, who governed France from 2007 to 2012, immediately announced he would appeal but will still have to begin serving time behind bars while the process unfolds. Prosecutors said he will be given a short window to settle personal matters before reporting to prison, likely within a month.
Appearing visibly shaken after the verdict, Sarkozy denounced the decision as “scandalous.” He told reporters: “If they want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail with my head held high. I will not apologise for something I didn’t do.” His wife, model and musician Carla Bruni, stood by his side.
The court found Sarkozy guilty of criminal conspiracy between 2005 and 2007, saying he allowed close aides to pursue Libyan contacts for possible funding of his 2007 presidential campaign during Muammar Gaddafi’s rule. While judges acknowledged there was no direct evidence that Sarkozy himself struck a deal or that Libyan money entered his campaign, they ruled that his entourage’s actions amounted to conspiracy.
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