French Court to Announce Verdict in Sarkozy Corruption Case

A French court is set to announce its verdict on Thursday in the high-profile corruption case involving former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is accused of receiving millions of euros from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to fund his 2007 presidential campaign.
Prosecutors have called for a seven-year prison sentence for Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012. If convicted, he is expected to appeal the decision, which would likely delay the enforcement of any sentence. Now 70 years old, Sarkozy has been on trial since January, facing charges including concealment of embezzled public funds, passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Investigators allege that Sarkozy struck a secret deal with the Libyan regime, with the case involving claims of suitcases full of cash arriving in Paris, as well as links to Libyan intelligence agents, a convicted terrorist, and arms dealers.
Sarkozy has consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting the allegations are politically driven.
Despite ongoing legal troubles—including being stripped of France’s highest honor, the Legion of Honour, in June—Sarkozy continues to hold sway in French politics. He recently met with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, his former protégé, and has expressed support for the National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, describing the far-right party as part of the legitimate political mainstream.
Sarkozy has faced multiple legal challenges since leaving office. Last year, the country’s top court upheld his conviction for corruption and influence peddling, requiring him to wear an electronic monitoring tag for a year—the first time such a measure has been applied to a former French president. That requirement has since ended. He was also found guilty in a separate case involving illegal financing of his failed 2012 re-election campaign.