A Paris court has delivered a five-year prison sentence for former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, stemming from the so-called Libya affair. The verdict, announced Thursday, follows a protracted legal process centered on allegations of illicit financial dealings.
The court found Sarkozy guilty of establishing a criminal association, a charge related to purported agreements made with the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. However, the former president was acquitted of separate accusations including passive bribery, embezzlement of Libyan state funds and illegal campaign financing.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Sarkozy and his advisors entered into an agreement with Gaddafi in 2007, intending to covertly finance Sarkozy’s successful presidential campaign in 2009. The prosecution had initially requested a seven-year prison sentence.
Sarkozy has consistently denied the accusations and his legal team indicated an intention to appeal the verdict. It is unlikely he will be immediately incarcerated pending the appeal process. This conviction adds to a previous sentence Sarkozy received in another case, involving bribery and abuse of power, which resulted in a three-year suspended prison sentence.
