Sarkozy Becomes First French Ex-President Jailed Since WWII

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has begun serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiring to finance his 2007 presidential campaign with funds allegedly provided by late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, marking a historic moment in modern French politics.

Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, arrived at La Santé prison in Paris on Monday, becoming the first former French head of state to go to jail since Philippe Pétain, the World War II collaborationist leader convicted of treason in 1945.

The 69-year-old conservative politician has consistently denied any wrongdoing, describing the charges as politically motivated. His legal team has filed an appeal, temporarily keeping parts of his sentence under review.

According to court documents, prosecutors accused Sarkozy of orchestrating a network of intermediaries and cash transfers worth millions of euros from Gaddafi’s regime to secretly fund his 2007 campaign, a scandal that has haunted French politics for over a decade.

Outside his villa in Paris’s affluent 16th arrondissement, more than a hundred supporters gathered, clapping and chanting “Nicolas!” as Sarkozy emerged hand-in-hand with his wife, singer and former model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, before being escorted to prison.

Sarkozy’s conviction adds another chapter to a series of corruption and influence-peddling cases that have dogged him since leaving office. His lawyers say they will continue to fight the ruling, calling the sentence “a grave injustice” that tarnishes France’s democratic image.

(Agencies)