Sarkozy jailed over secret dealings with Gaddafi

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison for secretly working with Libya’s late ruler, Muammar Gaddafi, to secure illicit funds for his 2007 election campaign.

A Paris court on Thursday found Sarkozy guilty of accepting millions from Gaddafi’s regime in violation of French electoral law. However, the court cleared him of related corruption and illegal campaign financing charges. Alongside the prison term, the 69-year-old former leader was ordered to pay a fine of $117,000.

The long-running case, which began in 2013, was triggered after Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, alleged that Sarkozy’s campaign had been bankrolled with Libyan cash. The explosive claims led to a decade of investigations, during which French judges examined financial trails, testimony from Libyan officials, and evidence seized across multiple jurisdictions.

Sarkozy, who governed France between 2007 and 2012, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. He insists the trial was a politically motivated attempt to destroy his reputation and influence. “I have never betrayed France,” he declared during proceedings, rejecting what he called “fabricated lies” about his links to the Gaddafi regime.

The verdict marks an extraordinary fall from grace for a man once considered a dominant figure in European politics. If imprisoned, Sarkozy would be the first former French head of state to serve actual jail time, a symbolic blow for a country proud of its democratic institutions.

The court’s ruling has reignited debate in France about political financing, accountability, and the legacy of Sarkozy’s presidency. It also casts a new shadow on France’s role in Libya, where Sarkozy had been a key advocate for NATO’s 2011 military intervention that contributed to Gaddafi’s overthrow.

Legal experts note that Sarkozy still has the right to appeal, which could delay the enforcement of his sentence. Nonetheless, the decision underscores a rare moment of judicial resolve against one of France’s most powerful political figures.

For many observers, the case highlights both the corrosive influence of foreign money in European politics and the fragility of democratic safeguards. For Sarkozy, once seen as the embodiment of French conservatism’s resilience, it signals an ignominious chapter that may define his political legacy.

Credit: DW Africa