Overview
- On the third day of hearings in Paris, Nicolas Sarkozy told the court he did not commit any of the acts he is accused of in the 2007 election financing affair.
- Defense teams pressed procedural bids invoking presidential immunity and referral to the Cour de justice de la République, challenging the competence of ordinary criminal courts.
- Prosecutors countered that the alleged conduct falls outside presidential functions, arguing the regular courts are competent and rejecting immunity claims.
- The court is set to decide on these procedural exceptions before moving to evidence and witness testimony in a retrial scheduled to run until June 3, with a verdict expected in the autumn.
- Claude Guéant, a key co-defendant, is absent after a medical expert found him unfit to appear, while Sarkozy, convicted at first instance in September 2025 and briefly jailed, now contests that judgment on appeal.