Sarkozy Jailed for Five Years Over Gaddafi

Sarkozy Jailed for Five Years in Libya Campaign Financing Case

September 26, 2025 

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy in connection with the alleged financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by Libya’s late leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

The Paris criminal court delivered its ruling on Thursday, convicting the 70-year-old of conspiracy but acquitting him of other charges, including illegal campaign financing and passive corruption. The decision marks the most serious legal blow yet to the former head of state, who led France from 2007 to 2012 and retired from active politics in 2017.

Despite the acquittals, the conviction means Sarkozy will serve time in jail even if he appeals the verdict.

Alleged “Corruption Pact”

Prosecutors argued that Sarkozy struck a deal with Gaddafi in 2005, when he was France’s interior minister, to secure millions of euros in campaign funding in exchange for easing Libya’s international isolation. Sarkozy has denied the charges, dismissing the case as politically motivated.

Judge Nathalie Gavarino said Sarkozy allowed close allies and political supporters, including former ministers Claude Gueant and Brice Hortefeux, to approach Libyan authorities in pursuit of financial support. Both Gueant and Hortefeux were also convicted of criminal association but acquitted on other charges. Eric Woerth, Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign treasurer, was cleared entirely.

The case dates back to 2011, when Libyan officials and Gaddafi himself claimed Libya had bankrolled Sarkozy’s campaign. French investigative outlet Mediapart later published a Libyan intelligence memo referencing a €50 million funding agreement, which Sarkozy denounced as a forgery. Evidence presented included testimonies from Libyan dignitaries, records of high-level visits, financial transfers, and the notebooks of Libya’s former oil minister, Shukri Ghanem, who was mysteriously found drowned in Vienna in 2012.

Legal Troubles Mount

The former president’s legal woes extend beyond this case. Sarkozy has previously been convicted in separate corruption and campaign financing scandals. In the so-called “Bygmalion affair,” he received a one-year sentence, half of which was suspended, for illegal campaign financing. He has also served time under electronic monitoring for a prior corruption conviction.

These convictions have cost him France’s Legion of Honour, the country’s highest distinction. Yet, Sarkozy remains a prominent figure within France’s right-wing political circles and maintains a personal rapport with President Emmanuel Macron.

Historical Twist

Ironically, Sarkozy’s downfall comes partly from his dealings with a regime he later helped topple. In 2011, France, under Sarkozy’s leadership, played a central role in NATO’s intervention in Libya that led to Gaddafi’s overthrow and death.

With Thursday’s verdict, Sarkozy joins the rare ranks of French presidents convicted of serious crimes, raising questions about political accountability in France and across Europe.

Source: Al Jazeera