Ex-French president Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to 5 years for criminal conspiracy, illegal Libya campaign funds

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was handed a five-year prison sentence on Thursday after he was found guilty by a Paris court of criminally conspiring with Libya over illegal campaign financing.

Sarkozy, who has always denied the charges, was accused of making a deal with Gaddafi to obtain campaign financing in exchange for supporting the then-isolated Libyan government on the international stage.

The judge, who acquitted Sarkozy of other charges, including corruption, said there was no proof that Sarkozy made such a deal with Gaddafi, nor that money that was sent from Libya reached Sarkozy’s campaign coffers.

Sarkozy’s sentence means he will go to prison regardless of whether or not he launches an appeal. The judge also ordered Sarkozy to pay a 100,000-euro fine.

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