Former French President Sarkozy Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Libyan Funding Conspiracy

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison by a Paris court for criminal conspiracy related to his 2007 presidential campaign's alleged illegal funding from Libya under Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy was acquitted of corruption and illegal campaign financing charges, but the conviction marks the first time a post-war French president has been sentenced to prison. Despite the immediate enforceability of the sentence, the court delayed Sarkozy's incarceration, giving prosecutors up to a month to notify him when to report to prison, where he is expected to be held in the vulnerable wing. Sarkozy, who denies all wrongdoing and has announced plans to appeal, declared he would "sleep in prison with my head held high" and called the verdict a scandal and an injustice. The court also imposed a fine, a ban from public office, and political ineligibility for five years. Sarkozy's conviction and reaction have sparked significant attention, highlighting the gravity of the verdict for France's rule of law and judicial trust.