Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced on Thursday to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy linked to alleged Libyan funding of his 2007 presidential campaign, making him the first ex-French leader to serve jail time.
The ruling, harsher than expected, marked a dramatic fall for Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012. He vowed to appeal but will still serve time.
Visibly shaken, Sarkozy denounced the verdict as “scandalous,” insisting on his innocence. “If they want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail with my head held high,” he told reporters, standing alongside his wife, Carla Bruni.
The Paris court acquitted him of other charges, including corruption and illegal campaign financing.
