France’s ex-president Sarkozy sentenced to five years in prison

A Paris court has sentenced former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison after finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy linked to allegations that late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi helped bankroll his 2007 presidential campaign. The court further ordered that Sarkozy, 70, pay a €100,000 fine and banned him from holding public office, marking a dramatic fall from grace for France’s once most powerful leader.

The verdict makes Sarkozy the first president in modern French history to face time behind bars. While he has vowed to appeal, the court emphasized that the prison order remains in force regardless of further legal battles. Judge Nathalie Gavarino described the offences as of “exceptional gravity,” warning that they risked undermining public trust in France’s democratic institutions.

The sweeping judgment also targeted Sarkozy’s inner circle. His longtime ally Claude Gueant was sentenced to six years, though spared prison due to his health, while ex-minister Brice Hortefeux, 67, received two years, to be served under electronic monitoring. Businessman Alexandre Djouhri, accused of acting as the middleman, was handed six years and ordered into immediate custody. Although the court cleared Sarkozy of corruption and illegal financing, the ruling cements his legacy as France’s most scandal-ridden former head of state.