French high court upholds ex-president's corruption conviction

France’s highest court has confirmed a decision made by an appeal court, which declared former President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling during his presidency.

Sarkozy, aged 69, has been sentenced to a year in prison. However, it is anticipated that he will request to serve his sentence at home with an electronic monitoring device, which is allowed for sentences of two years or less.

In 2021, a Paris court and in 2023, an appeals court found Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling. This was due to his attempt to bribe a magistrate in return for confidential information regarding a legal case he was involved in.

“The convictions and sentences are therefore final,” a Court of Cassation statement on Wednesday said.

Sarkozy, who was France’s president from 2007 to 2012, retired from public life in 2017 though still plays an influential role in French conservative politics. He was among the guests who attended the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral earlier this month.

Sarkozy, in a statement posted on X, said “I will assume my responsibilities and face all the consequences.”

He added: “I have no intention of complaining. But I am not prepared to accept the profound injustice done to me.”

Sarkozy said he will seek to bring the case to the European Court of Human Rights, and hopes those proceedings will result in “France being condemned.”

He reiterated his “full innocence.”

“My determination is total in this case as in all others,” he concluded.

Nicolas Sarkozy

FILE – Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy leaves the Elysee Palace after a lunch with heads of states and officials, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019 in Paris. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu, File)

Sarkozy’s lawyer, Patrice Spinosi, said his client “will comply” with the ruling. This means the former president will have to wear an electronic bracelet, Spinosi said.

It is the first time in France’s modern history that a former president has been convicted and sentenced to a prison term for actions during his term.

Sarkozy’s predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was found guilty in 2011 of misuse of public money during his time as Paris mayor and was given a two-year suspended prison sentence.

Sarkozy has been involved in several other legal cases. He has denied any wrongdoing.

He faces another trial next month in Paris over accusations he took millions of dollars from then-Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi to illegally finance his successful 2007 campaign.

The corruption case that led to Wednesday’s ruling focused on phone conversations that took place in February 2014.

At the time, investigative judges had launched an inquiry into the financing of Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign. During the inquiry, they discovered that Sarkozy and his lawyer, Thierry Herzog, were communicating via secret mobile phones registered to the alias “Paul Bismuth.”

Wiretapped conversations on those phones led prosecutors to suspect Sarkozy and Herzog of promising magistrate Gilbert Azibert a job in Monaco in exchange for leaking information about another legal case involving Sarkozy. Azibert never got the post and legal proceedings against Sarkozy have been dropped in the case he was seeking information about.

Prosecutors had concluded, however, that the proposal still constitutes corruption under French law, even if the promise wasn’t fulfilled. Sarkozy vigorously denied any malicious intention in his offer to help Azibert.

Azibert and Herzog have also been found guilty in the case.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like
The Catch-22 of Health Insurance

Understanding the Dilemma of Health Insurance

The patient is asking for clarification on what they owe and have…
Alabama woman doing well after the latest experimental pig kidney transplant at NYU Langone Health in New York City

Alabama woman in good condition following recent groundbreaking pig kidney transplant at NYU Langone Health in NYC

An Alabama woman had a pig kidney transplant last month and is…
Investigators are convinced 'CEO assassin' Luigi Mangione did NOT act alone...and there are three key clues

Three crucial clues suggest Luigi Mangione, the alleged ‘CEO assassin,’ did not work solo, say investigators.

Investigators specializing in serious crimes believe that the individual suspected of shooting…
‘Shrinking’s Jason Segel Will Rip Your Heart Out With His Emmy-Worthy Season 2, Episode 11 Performance

Jason Segel from “Shrinking” delivers an Emmy-worthy performance in Season 2, Episode 11 that will tug at your heartstrings.

Jason Segel, known for his role on How I Met Your Mother,…
'Buy a Spine': Sen. Kennedy Gets NCAA Prez to Bend Knee on Key Point in Heated Exchange on Trans Athletes

Senator Kennedy Successfully Pressures NCAA President to Address Important Issue Regarding Trans Athletes

One particular key issue that is particularly irksome to Republican members of…
Joe Biden, the Incredible Shrinking President

The Remarkable Transformation of President Joe Biden

In 1957, the movie “The Incredible Shrinking Man,” directed by Jack Arnold,…
Ye olde cold cures that sound disgusting... but might work better than Lemsip

Old-fashioned remedies for the common cold that may seem unappealing, but could be more effective than traditional cold medication.

So, you’ve got an annoying sniffle, sore throat or pesky cough and…
Pentagon transfers out 3 Guantanamo Bay detainees

Three Guantanamo Bay detainees transferred by Pentagon

Three detainees held at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba have been sent back…
Russia's Syria exit could help Ukraine-Israel relationship as analyst warns it 'offers little' to Jerusalem

The withdrawal of Russia from Syria could potentially strengthen the relationship between Ukraine and Israel, despite warnings that it may not provide significant benefits to Jerusalem.

As the Assad regime falls and Russia’s influence in Syria weakens, some…
I'm an American who loves European Christmas markets - so I took a train from Vienna to London and visited over 20 along the way. Here are my ratings (and which one is the worst… )

Exploring European Christmas Markets from Vienna to London: Ratings and the Least Favorite Market

When it comes to Europe’s Christmas markets, it’s a case of the…
Royal Caribbean passenger dies soon after being detained for chaotic incident caught on video

Passenger on Royal Caribbean cruise ship dies shortly after detainment for disruptive behavior captured on video

A cruise ship passenger caught on camera acting unruly died shortly after…
Advocate Health Care investing $1B on South Side in Trinity Hospital, new facility at Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park

Advocate Health Care is dedicating $1 billion to enhance Trinity Hospital on the South Side and establish a new facility at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park.

CHICAGO (WLS) — One billion dollars is going toward healthcare on the…