Ex-French President Nicolas Sarkozy Jailed 5 Years Over Accepting Millions In Illegal Payments From Muammar Gaddafi
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy in connection with millions of euros allegedly channelled from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The ruling, delivered by the Paris Criminal Court on Thursday, 25 September 2025, marks the first time a former French head of state has been ordered to serve actual prison time.
Court delivers historic ruling
According to the BBC, the 70-year-old Sarkozy was acquitted of other charges, including illegal campaign financing and passive corruption. However, Judge Nathalie Gavarino ruled that Sarkozy “allowed close aides to contact Libyan officials with a view to obtaining financial support” for his 2007 election campaign.
There was shock inside the courtroom as Judge Gavarino read out the sentence. Sarkozy was also ordered to pay a fine of €100,000 (US$117,000 / R2.1 million).
In her ruling, the judge noted:
“There is insufficient evidence to prove that Mr Sarkozy directly benefited from illegal campaign funds, but his involvement in a criminal conspiracy between 2005 and 2007 is proven.”
The sentence will take effect despite Sarkozy’s vow to appeal. Prosecutors have one month to determine when he must report to prison.
Sarkozy reacts defiantly
Speaking outside court, Sarkozy expressed disbelief at the verdict. The RFI reports that the former president said:
“What happened today is of extreme gravity for the rule of law. If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high.”
He added:
“I am innocent. This injustice is a scandal. I will not accuse myself of something I did not do.”
Sarkozy insists the case was politically motivated, claiming it stemmed from Gaddafi’s circle in revenge for his role in the 2011 NATO-backed intervention that toppled the Libyan leader.
Long-running legal troubles
The Al Jazeera coverage notes that Sarkozy’s conviction follows a decade-long anti-corruption probe. Allegations first surfaced in 2011, when Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam claimed Sarkozy received campaign funds from Libya. In 2012, French investigative outlet Mediapart published a note allegedly showing Gaddafi had agreed to provide €50 million (US$52m / R946m) for Sarkozy’s campaign. Sarkozy has always dismissed the document as fake.
This is not Sarkozy’s first conviction. In 2021, he was found guilty of attempting to bribe a judge. In 2024, he was handed a one-year sentence over campaign overspending in his failed 2012 re-election bid. Both convictions were upheld on appeal.
The latest ruling cements Sarkozy’s position as the first French post-war president to be convicted three times and now the first to serve prison time.
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