Nicolas Sarkozy: France's First Ex-President Sentenced to Jail

Wed Oct 22 2025 22:35:08 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, begins a five-year jail sentence for campaign finance conspiracy involving Libyan funds. This unprecedented event in modern French political history has sparked significant public and judicial discourse.

Nicolas Sarkozy starts a five-year prison sentence after being found guilty of conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from Libya. This marks the first time a former president of France has gone to jail, drawing parallels to historical figures and raising questions about justice and accountability in French politics. Despite his conviction, Sarkozy continues to assert his innocence and has appealed the ruling.

Nicolas Sarkozy: France's First Ex-President Sentenced to Jail

18 hours ago

Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first French ex-president to go to jail, as he starts a five-year sentence for conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Not since World War Two Nazi collaborationist leader Philippe Pétain was jailed for treason in 1945 has any French ex-leader gone behind bars.

Sarkozy, who was president from 2007-2012, has appealed against his jail term at La Santé prison, where he will occupy a small cell in its isolation wing.

More than 100 people applauded and shouted Nicolas! as he left his villa in the exclusive 16th district of Paris, holding his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy by the hand.

His son Louis, 28, had appealed to supporters for a show of support, while another son, Pierre, called for a message of love – nothing else, please.

Nicolas Sarkozy, 70, was driven through the entrance of the notoriously overcrowded 19th-Century prison at 09:40 local time (07:40 GMT), while dozens of police officers cordoned off most of the surrounding streets.

He continues to protest his innocence in the highly controversial Libyan money affair and expressed his thoughts on social media as he was driven to the jail: I have no doubt. Truth will prevail. But how crushing the price will have been.

Moments after Sarkozy entered jail, his lawyer Christophe Ingrain announced a request for his release had been filed, stating that nothing justified his imprisonment. Sarkozy may be inside for at least three weeks or a month.

Sarkozy has stated he wants no special treatment during his time at La Santé prison, yet he has been placed in isolation for safety due to the nature of the prison's other inmates.

His prison cell is reportedly between 9-11 square meters and equipped with basic amenities. Although he will be solitary, he can receive visits from family and maintain contact with the outside world.

President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the significance of today's events and reiterated the importance of lawful processes in judicial matters as the nation grapples with the implications of Sarkozy's imprisonment.