French prosecutors have asked for a seven-year prison sentence for Nicolas Sarkozy over illegal campaign financing. They also want him to pay a €300,000 fine. Sarkozy, who was France’s president from 2007 to 2012, faces accusations that he took money from Libya to fund his 2007 election campaign. Prosecutors say he accepted funds from the regime of Muammar Gaddafi.
The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office has also suggested a five-year ban on his civil and civic rights. This ban would stop him from running for office or holding a judicial position. The court is expected to make a decision later this year.
Sarkozy Denies Wrongdoing
Sarkozy, 70 years old, says he is innocent. He faces charges of passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, and concealment of embezzled funds. Prosecutors also accuse him of criminal association. The trial started in January 2025 and will end on April 10.
This case is considered his most serious legal battle. If convicted, he would be the first French ex-president found guilty of taking foreign money for a campaign.
Claims of Illegal Libyan Funding
In 2011, a Libyan news agency and Gaddafi himself said that Libya had helped finance Sarkozy’s campaign. The claim suggested that millions of euros had been secretly funneled to his team.
In 2012, the French news site Mediapart published a Libyan memo. It claimed that there was a €50 million agreement between Sarkozy and Libya. Sarkozy denied the memo’s authenticity and sued for defamation. However, French magistrates later ruled that the document was likely authentic.
Despite this, investigators could not find direct proof of money transfers. However, they found evidence of close links between Sarkozy’s team and Libyan officials.
Investigators Follow the Money Trail
Investigators focused on trips taken by Sarkozy’s associates between 2005 and 2007. They looked for links between the campaign and Libyan leaders.
In 2016, businessman Ziad Takieddine told Mediapart that he delivered suitcases of cash from Tripoli. He said he brought the money to France’s Interior Ministry, which Sarkozy had led before becoming president. Later, Takieddine retracted his claims, saying he was pressured into lying. However, prosecutors launched a separate probe into witness tampering.
They placed Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, under preliminary investigation.
Former Ministers Also Face Trial
Sarkozy is not the only one facing charges. His former ministers Claude Guéant, Brice Hortefeux, and Éric Woerth are also accused of wrongdoing. Prosecutors have indicted eight more people in connection with the case.
Despite multiple defendants, prosecutors say Sarkozy is the key figure in this trial. They believe he benefited from a corruption pact with Libya.
Previous Convictions Add to Sarkozy’s Troubles
This is not the first time Sarkozy has been convicted. In December 2024, France’s highest court upheld a corruption ruling against him. He was sentenced to one year of house arrest with an electronic tag. The evidence in that case was found during the Libya investigation.
Earlier, in February 2024, an appeals court convicted him of illegal financing during his 2012 campaign. This previous conviction makes the current case even more serious.
Sarkozy Calls the Charges Political
Sarkozy has strongly denied all allegations. He insists the Libya accusations are politically motivated. He says the documents used against him are fake.
His supporters claim that the case is a political attack on a former leader. However, prosecutors argue that Sarkozy’s campaign received millions in illegal funds from a foreign government.
If convicted, Sarkozy will face a historic legal decision. His political career would be over, and he could spend years in prison.
The final verdict is expected later in 2025.