Overview

• Paris judges found Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of participating in a criminal association but acquitted him of passive corruption and illegal campaign financing.
• The court imposed a five-year prison term, and the decision is not yet final pending appeal.
• Prosecutors had sought seven years in prison, a €300,000 fine and a ban on holding elected office, arguing a “corruption pact” with Muammar al‑Gaddafi.
• Several co‑defendants were also convicted, including ex‑ministers Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, while former finance minister Eric Woerth was acquitted.
• The case leaned on testimony and documentary traces from intermediaries; key alleged middleman Ziad Takieddine died in Beirut days before the verdict.