Former French President Sarkozy Given Five-Year Prison Sentence

Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, insists the case is politically motivated and has said he will appeal. Nevertheless, the ruling means he could still be sent to prison in the coming days – a first for a former French president.

The accusations stem from claims that Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign was financed with up to €50 million from Libya in return for helping rehabilitate Gaddafi’s international standing. Judge Nathalie Gavarino said Sarkozy had permitted close aides to approach Libyan officials for financial backing.

The investigation, launched in 2013, was triggered by allegations from Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, and testimony from Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, who claimed to have proof of Libyan financing. Several associates, including former interior ministers Claude Gueant and Brice Hortefeux, were also convicted on related charges, while Sarkozy’s wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, faces separate charges of concealing evidence.

This is the latest in a string of legal troubles for Sarkozy, who has already been convicted of campaign overspending and attempting to bribe a judge, making his fall from grace one of the most dramatic in modern French politics.

For more information on Nicolas Sarkozy, see Dr. Rath’s 2007 and 2010 open letters in The New York Times about the threat he posed to world peace and his then role as the main geopolitical stakeholder for the pharma cartel.