Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday after a Paris court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy with Libya over illegal election campaign funding.
With this ruling, Sarkozy became the first former French head of state to face such a severe penalty linked to campaign finance.
The 70-year-old, who has consistently denied the allegations, was spared immediate arrest in court. The judge announced that the date of his incarceration will be decided later.
However, in an unexpected twist, the court ruled that Sarkozy will still serve prison time even if he files an appeal.
The case stems from accusations that Sarkozy accepted millions of euros from the regime of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 presidential campaign.
Sarkozy has previously faced legal troubles, but this judgment is his most serious conviction to date.
