A Paris court on Thursday sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison after finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy in connection with allegations that late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi helped finance his successful 2007 presidential campaign.
The court ordered that Sarkozy, 70, be taken into custody at a later date, giving prosecutors one month to notify him of when he must report to prison. The measure remains enforceable even if he lodges an appeal against the ruling.
If the sentence is executed, Sarkozy will become the first president in modern French history to serve time in prison. In addition to the custodial sentence, he was fined €100,000 (£86,000) and barred from holding public office.
Sarkozy has previously been convicted in two separate cases but avoided imprisonment, serving one sentence under electronic monitoring—a restriction that has since been lifted.
The former president is expected to appeal the verdict and may also seek parole citing his age.
Presiding judge Nathalie Gavarino described the offences as being of “exceptional gravity” and “likely to undermine the confidence of citizens” in public institutions.
