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In a dramatic turn for French politics, former president Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced on Thursday to five years in prison after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case linked to alleged illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi, worth hundreds of crores of rupees.
The Paris criminal court acquitted Sarkozy of charges of passive corruption and illegal campaign financing, a partial reprieve that did little to blunt the shock of the ruling. He was also ordered to pay a fine of about ₹87 lakh.
A Historic Sentence
Judge Nathalie Gavarino said Sarkozy had allowed close aides to approach Libyan officials in pursuit of financial support for his 2007 presidential campaign. But the court found insufficient evidence to prove that he personally benefitted from the illegal funds.
Still, the ruling reverberated through the courtroom, where observers audibly gasped when the sentence was read. It marked the first time in modern French history that a former head of state could face prison time — a humiliating moment for a man who has long styled himself as a defender of law and order.
Sarkozy’s Defiant Response
Speaking to reporters after the verdict, the 70-year-old former president, who led France from 2007 to 2012, struck a defiant tone.
“What happened today is extremely serious for the rule of law and for confidence in the justice system,” Sarkozy declared. “If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high.”
Sarkozy has consistently denounced the case as politically motivated and confirmed he intends to appeal.
A Decade-Long Investigation
The probe was first launched in 2013, two years after Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the Libyan leader, accused Sarkozy of secretly accepting millions for his campaign. A year later, Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine alleged he had written proof that Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign was “abundantly” financed by Tripoli, with payments totaling nearly ₹430 crore.
Several high-profile figures stood trial alongside Sarkozy. Former interior minister Claude Guéant was convicted of corruption, while another, Brice Hortefeux, was found guilty of criminal conspiracy.
A Political Legacy in Freefall
The case is the latest in a string of legal setbacks for Sarkozy. In 2021, he was convicted of attempting to bribe a judge, becoming the first former French president to receive a custodial sentence. In February 2024, he was also found guilty of overspending on his failed 2012 re-election campaign and handed a one-year sentence.
For a leader once seen as a dominant figure of the French right, Thursday’s ruling represents not just a personal blow but also a symbolic collapse of his political legacy.
