Sarkozy Sentenced to Five Years for Criminal Conspiracy in Libya Campaign Funding Case

Paris, France – Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday by a Paris court, after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy related to attempts to secure campaign funding from the government of late Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi. The landmark ruling marks the first time a former French president has received a prison sentence, sending shockwaves through the nation's political landscape.

TheParis Criminal Court acquitted Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, of other charges including illegal campaign financing and passive corruption. The judge stated there was no direct evidence that funds from Libya reached Sarkozy's campaign coffers, nor that he struck a direct deal with Qaddafi. However, the court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy for allowing close aides to contact Libyan individuals in an attempt to secure financing for his 2007 presidential bid between 2005 and 2007.

Sarkozy, 70, vehemently denied the charges, claiming the case was politically motivated. Emerging from the courtroom, he stated, "If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high," and announced his intention to appeal the verdict. This appeal will temporarily suspend the sentence, though prosecutors have indicated he would have a brief period to settle his affairs before reporting to prison if the appeal is unsuccessful.

Allegations of Libyan funding for Sarkozy's campaign first surfaced in 2011, with claims from Qaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, and a 2012 report by French investigative outlet Mediapart citing a purported Libyan intelligence memo. The investigation also involved testimony from businessman Ziad Takieddine, who initially claimed to have delivered cash from Libya to Sarkozy's aides, though he later retracted his statements.

Sarkozy's relationship with Qaddafi saw significant shifts, from welcoming the Libyan leader to the Élysée Palace in 2007 to spearheading NATO's military intervention against his regime in 2011. This conviction adds to a series of legal challenges for the former president, who has faced multiple trials since leaving office, including prior convictions for bribery and illegal campaign financing in his 2012 re-election bid.