Nicolas Sarkozy Begins Five-Year Prison Sentence Over Campaign Financing Scandal

Tue Oct 21 2025 21:50:32 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has commenced a five-year sentence in La Santé prison amidst a scandal involving illicit campaign financing from Libya.

In a historic turn of events, Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first French ex-president to face jail time. He is serving a five-year sentence for conspiracy to use funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential campaign. With strong public support from his family and ongoing appeals against his conviction, Sarkozy's case has sparked widespread debate in France regarding political accountability.

Nicolas Sarkozy will become the first French ex-president to go to jail, starting a five-year sentence for conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Only Philippe Pétain, a Nazi collaborator, has faced jail time among past leaders, highlighting the rarity of Sarkozy's situation, who served as president from 2007-2012.

Appealing his sentence, Sarkozy is being held in La Santé prison's isolation wing for safety concerns due to the nature of other inmates. More than 100 people gathered outside the prison as his son Louis called for public support.

Amidst the controversy, Sarkozy maintains his innocence, arguing he was unaware of any wrongdoing regarding what he describes as a 'highly false narrative' related to the Libyan funds. He faces a legacy divided between loyal supporters and harsh critics.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin expressed his intent to visit Sarkozy in prison, noting the humanitarian aspect of the former leader's distress.

As he enters incarceration, Sarkozy carries two books: a biography of Jesus and 'The Count of Monte Cristo,' a story of wrongful imprisonment. He has publicly stated, 'I’m not afraid of prison,' which reflects his audacity toward the charges brought against him.

This unprecedented moment in French political history raises pertinent questions about the accountability of public officials and the implications of corruption in the political landscape.