Tuesday, October 21, 2025-France’s former president Nicolas Sarkozy will begin serving a five-year prison sentence on Tuesday after being convicted of criminal conspiracy and illegal campaign financing linked to alleged Libyan funding for his 2007 presidential run.
The decision marks an unprecedented moment in French political history the first time a modern French leader has been ordered to serve actual prison time.
Sarkozy, 70, was found guilty in September following years of investigation into claims that his campaign received millions in undeclared cash from the regime of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Though he continues to deny the charges and has filed an appeal, the court ruled that the seriousness of the crime required immediate incarceration. He is expected to be held at La Santé Prison in Paris under protected custody due to security concerns.
The ruling has sent shockwaves through France’s political landscape, reigniting debates over corruption and accountability among the country’s elite. Sarkozy’s allies call the verdict politically motivated, while prosecutors say it reaffirms that no one, not even a former president, is above the law.
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