Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will begin serving his five-year prison sentence on October 21, 2025, in a Paris prison, following a final ruling by the Court of Appeal. The news was confirmed by French newspaper Le Monde, which wrote that this is the first time in modern French history that a former president will actually go behind bars.
Sarkozy was convicted of criminal conspiracy and illegal financing of his 2007 election campaign, which is believed to have been supported by funds from the then-regime of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. Years of French judicial investigations revealed that the former president had received millions of euros to finance his political campaign, in violation of French law.
The Court of Appeal confirmed the sentence previously imposed in the first instance, rejecting all appeals by the defense. According to Le Monde, Sarkozy will serve part of the sentence in a regular prison regime, while the rest could be served in the form of house arrest under electronic monitoring, depending on the assessment of the penitentiary authorities.
This is the most significant criminal trial of a former head of state in France since the time of Charles de Gaulle. In addition to this case, Sarkozy is also involved in several other judicial proceedings for corruption and illegal influence.
The latest decision has been described as a historic moment for French justice, confirming the principle that "no one is above the law," regardless of the position held.
