Gaddafi : Former French president, Sarkozy, bags 5 years in prison

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been handed a five-year prison sentence after a Paris court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy linked to allegations he received millions in illicit campaign funds from late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.

The court cleared Sarkozy of charges of passive corruption and illegal campaign financing but ordered him to pay a €100,000 ($117,000, £87,000) fine. Despite announcing plans to appeal, the ruling requires the 70-year-old to serve time in prison.

Calling the verdict “extremely serious for rule of law,” Sarkozy insisted the case was politically driven. “If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high,” he said after Thursday’s hearing.

Prosecutors argued that money from Gaddafi’s regime supported Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign in exchange for help in repairing the Libyan leader’s international image. Judge Nathalie Gavarino said Sarkozy allowed close associates to engage Libyan officials in pursuit of campaign funds, though the court concluded there was insufficient proof he directly benefited from the money.

The courtroom reacted with shock when the sentence was read, marking a historic moment: Sarkozy could become the first French president to actually serve time behind bars.

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The case stems from a 2013 investigation, two years after Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam accused Sarkozy of taking millions from Tripoli. In 2014, Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine claimed to have documents proving the campaign was “abundantly” financed by Libya, alleging payments worth around €50m continued even after Sarkozy entered the Élysée.

Also tried were former interior ministers Claude Gueant and Brice Hortefeux. Gueant was convicted of corruption and other charges, while Hortefeux was found guilty of criminal conspiracy.

Sarkozy’s wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, is also facing charges in connection with the case, accused of concealing evidence and associating with wrongdoers to commit fraud—allegations she denies.

This is not Sarkozy’s only legal battle. He is appealing a February 2024 conviction for overspending on his failed 2012 re-election campaign, which earned him a one-year sentence, six months suspended. In 2021, he became the first former French head of state to receive a custodial sentence after being found guilty of attempting to bribe a judge, though he was allowed to serve that time at home under electronic monitoring.