France's Ex-President Sarkozy Jailed for Libya Funding Scam

Nicolas Sarkozy, former French president from 2007 to 2012, began serving a five-year prison sentence for criminal conspiracy related to illegally obtaining funding from Muammar Gaddafi's Libya to finance his 2007 election campaign. He is the first former head of an EU state and the first leader of France's Fifth Republic to be jailed, a historic moment in French politics. Despite the conviction, Sarkozy has consistently proclaimed his innocence, calling himself an "innocent man" and expressing confidence that the truth will prevail as he appealed the verdict. He was transferred to La Santé prison in Paris, where he may be held in solitary confinement or a vulnerable inmates section, and plans to bring books including "The Count of Monte Cristo" and a biography of Jesus Christ. His imprisonment sparked public reactions, with supporters rallying outside his home and others viewing the event as a significant moment for democracy in France. Sarkozy's legal team continues to challenge the conviction, although he was cleared of some other corruption charges.