
A Paris court on Thursday, September 25, 2025, convicted former French President Nicolas Sarkozy of criminal conspiracy related to allegations that funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were used to finance Sarkozy’s successful 2007 presidential campaign.
The court sentenced Sarkozy to five years in prison, with the ruling stipulating that he will serve the sentence regardless of any appeals, in an unprecedented decision for a former French head of state.
Judge Nathalie Gavarino noted Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, allowed his close collaborators to approach Libyan authorities to attempt to secure financial support. However, the court acquitted him of other charges, including passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, and embezzlement of Libyan public funds, citing insufficient evidence linking Sarkozy directly to the funds.
The trial, which started in January 2025, focused on accusations that Sarkozy entered into a corrupt agreement with Libya by promising diplomatic favors in exchange for millions of euros delivered in suitcases to his campaign. Prosecutors had sought a seven-year sentence. Two of Sarkozy’s close allies, former ministers Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, were also found guilty of criminal association.
Sarkozy, who denies the charges and claims political motivation, expressed outrage at the ruling and vowed to appeal, calling the verdict a scandal and injustice. Despite losing France’s highest honor in June 2025, he remains a significant figure in French politics.
This conviction adds to Sarkozy’s series of legal troubles, including prior convictions for corruption and influence peddling since leaving office. His imprisonment would mark a historic first in modern French history for a former president.
The decision underscores serious judicial scrutiny of high-level political corruption and raises debates over accountability and political influence in France’s democratic system.