Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been convicted of criminal conspiracy and sentenced to five years in prison.
The sentence, along with five years of ineligibility to stand in elections, was handed down today over his connections with the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who helped finance Sarkozy’s successful 2007 presidential campaign.
The Paris court issued a deferred committal order with immediate enforcement, meaning Sarkozy will be summoned within a month by the public prosecutor who will set the date for him to report to prison. No appeal will suspend this measure.
It will be the first time a former French president has been incarcerated.
“I am being convicted for allegedly allowing one of my collaborators to act,” said Sarkozy said after being sentenced.
His collaborators, Claude Guéant, former secretary general of the Elysée Palace, was sentenced to six years in prison and fined €250,000, while former minister Brice Hortefeux was given two years, for which he may be tagged by electronic bracelet, and a fine of €50,000.
Sarkozy criticised the verdict, calling it “of the utmost gravity for the rule of law and for citizens’ trust in justice”.
“Millions of euros were spent trying to find evidence of financing that the court was unable to establish in my campaign.
“For all these years, I have taken responsibility, refused a plea deal, been placed in custody, undergone countless examinations and no personal enrichment has ever been proven,” he said.
The investigative newspaper Mediapart was the first to reveal the connection between Sarkozy’s campaign funds and Gaddafi, sparking the subsequent investigation.
Addressing the French public, Sarkozy said: “I ask the French people, whether they support me or not, to judge what has just happened. Hatred clearly knows no limits.
“I will sleep in prison with my head held high, because I am innocent. I will not apologise for something I did not do. I will appeal.”
Sarkozy’s lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, added: “Justice has not been served today,” highlighting the extraordinary length of the investigation, which spanned more than a decade and included countless hearings and trials.
The former president had long been known for advocating tougher judicial measures during his time in office. In 2014, he stated: “When an individual appears for the 17th time before the court, they must be punished for the entirety of their actions.”
Following today’s verdict, Marine Le Pen, de facto leader of the right-wing National Rally, voiced strong criticism, claiming that beyond Sarkozy, the broader implications for the justice system were alarming.
She warned that the widespread use of immediate enforcement by certain jurisdictions threatened fundamental legal principles, particularly the presumption of innocence.
Le Pen’s statement came after she was found guilty of embezzlement in March and sentenced to five years of ineligibility to stand in elections, also with immediate effect.
