Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Sentenced To 5 Years In Jail Over Libya Conspiracy Case

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a high-profile case tied to late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The Paris criminal court ruled that Sarkozy conspired with aides to obtain illicit campaign funding from Gaddafi ahead of his 2007 presidential bid. While acquitted of direct corruption and illegal campaign financing, the 70-year-old ex-president faces one of the most serious punishments handed down to a French head of state in modern history. This case, first sparked by allegations from Gaddafi’s son and evidence from Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, has shaken France’s political establishment. Sarkozy’s wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, is also facing charges of hiding evidence in the scandal. Despite being stripped of the Legion of Honour and facing convictions in other cases—including bribery and overspending on his 2012 campaign—Sarkozy has remained a force in French politics, recently meeting Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and extending credibility to Marine Le Pen’s National Rally.