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Sarkozy Begins Prison Term After Libya-Finance Conviction, Files Bid for Release

French law keeps him jailed under a non‑suspensive custody order pending a March 2026 appeal.

Overview

  • The former president entered Paris’s La Santé prison and was placed in the facility’s vulnerable wing for security reasons.
  • His lawyers submitted a request for conditional release, saying the Court of Appeal typically rules in about a month, with an appeal hearing scheduled for March 2026.
  • A Paris court on September 25 imposed five years in prison, a €100,000 fine and a five‑year bar from public office for association to delinquency tied to alleged Libyan funding for the 2007 campaign.
  • Judges found he allowed close aides to seek support from the Gaddafi regime but acquitted him of more serious counts after prosecutors failed to prove Libyan money reached his campaign.
  • Sarkozy denies wrongdoing, posting on X that France is jailing “an innocent,” as supporters and family gathered outside his home when he left for custody.